A suspected kidnap kingpin, John Lyon, and his accomplice, Emmanuel Angase, have been remanded in prison custody.
The suspects were arraigned before a Bayelsa State High Court on 14-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony, kidnapping and armed robbery.
The two suspects while taking their plea before Justice Eradiri, pleaded not guilty to all the 14 counts.
According to the charge read out by the court clerk, Ike, Angase and others at large were charged on four counts of “conspiracy to commit felony contrary to Section 444, sub (a) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap (C) Laws of Bayelsa State, 2006.”
They were also charged on eight counts of “kidnapping contrary to Section 2, sub (1) of the Kidnapping and other offences, Laws of Bayelsa State 2013” and two counts of armed robbery, “contrary to Section 329, sub (2 ) of the Criminal Code Law, cap ‘C’ of Bayelsa State, 2006.”
The prosecution counsel led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Apulu Iyabosa, made an oral application that the accused persons be remanded at the Yenagoa Correctional Centre and Prisons.
Justice Eradiri granted the request and ordered that the accused be remanded at the prison custody.
He urged the prosecution counsel to furnish the defence counsel with all the necessary documents for the commencement of the trial and adjourned the matter to December 5 and 21 for trial.