Yenagoa—A former militant, Promise Adeghe, was on Tuesday arraigned at a Yenagoa High Court on a two-count charge of  kidnapping and conspiracy to commit felony.

Adeghe, 24, who is an indigene of Azuzuama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was charged before Justice Doris Adokeme.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Adeghe, whose plea could not be taken because he had no lawyer, was ordered to be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Ahoada in Rivers.

Adokeme also adjourned the case to December 19, for further hearing and to enable the accused to secure a counsel as he had promised to do.

Adeghe was charged to court, along with three others, who are now at large, by the State Security Service, SSS, over his alleged involvement in the abduction of the Paramount Ruler of Atissa Kingdom in Bayelsa, King Godwin Igodo.

Igodo was snatched from his residence at Obogoro Community, behind Creek Haven, the governor’s office, by the armed gang.

The embattled monarch was eventually released on September 27 at Abonema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, after the payment of N12.5 million ransom by his family.

The kidnappers also extorted telephone recharge cards worth N150,000 from the monarch’s family members.

Adeghe, who claimed to belong to the ‘Young Shall Grow Camp’ and a product of the Obubra amnesty training programme, allegedly confessed to collecting N50,000 as initial payment from the ransom.

He was to collect the balance before his arrest.

NAN reports that the suspect was brought to court amidst tight security by men of the SSS.

While the state was represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr Alhaji Opokuma, the suspect had no lawyer to represent him and when asked he said he was prepared to contact one.