Four herdsmen were Tuesday remanded in a correctional centre on the orders of an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan.

Ibrahim Ahmadu, 20, Abubakar Siddi, 25, Mohammadu Dariya, 28, and Shehu Usman, 23, were charged with conspiracy, kidnapping and demanding ransom.

Chief Magistrate Olaide Hamzat did not take the suspects plea due to lack of jurisdiction and ordered they be remanded in Abolongo Correctional facility, Oyo, Town.

Mr Hamzat also directed the police to return the case file to the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) and adjourned the matter until October 25 for mention.

The prosecution counsel, Opeyemi Olagunju, told the court the suspects and others at large had, on July 7, at about 1:00 a.m., kidnapped Abubakar Shehu.

Kidnapped from his father’s camp, the suspects demanded N30 million ransom from the victim’s father, Shehu Umaru.

Mr Olagunju said the offence contravened the provisions of section 3 (1) (2) and was punishable under section 4 (2), 10 of the Oyo State Kidnapping (Prohibition) Law 2016.