ALAGOA, JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This is an appeal A against the judgment of Mikailu. J sitting at High Court 2, Gusau, Zamfara State which was delivered on the 12th June 1998. In the said judgment N500,000.00 (five hundred thousand naira) was awarded as general damages in favour of the plaintiff (now respondent) against the defendants (now appellants) jointly and severally. Dissatisfied with the judgment, the appellants have appealed to this court on three grounds contained in the notice of appeal dated the 15th June 1998. (See pages 43 - 45 of the printed record).
Briefly the facts of this case are that the respondent, a farmer living at Kambaki village near Bungudu area in present day Zamfara State (then
Sokoto State) was sometime in 1992 approached by the 1st appellant oneMu’azu Ahmed of the same Kambaki village to release his (respondent’s) son by name Mallam Abubakar Umaru to the 1st appellant on the understanding that the said Mallam Abubakar Umaru was to be handed o…