The Department of State Services, DSS, has arraigned five men before an Imo State High Court over two separate kidnapping cases, including the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members on Independence Day.
The defendants were brought before the court on Tuesday, October 20, following their arrests during intelligence-led operations in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14.
Three of the men, Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, alias Smallie Pepper, have been accused of abducting the prospective corps members along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway on October 1.
The trio allegedly acted with other suspects still at large and were also accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of live ammunition.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include abduction, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms. The court reportedly ordered that they remain in DSS custody and adjourned the cases for further proceedings.
In a related case, Aminu Haliru and Tange Ibrahim, also known as Jijji, are accused of kidnapping four people around Owerri and Mgbidi on October 4.
Prosecutors alleged that the two men and other suspects at large collected N8 million to secure the victims’ release. They also face allegations of unlawfully possessing an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun. The prosecution listed N1.8 million as money recovered in the case.
A DSS investigator and the victims were listed as witnesses in the two matters.
The 20 prospective corps members were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The attack triggered a joint search-and-rescue operation involving the police, military, DSS and other security agencies. The police later recovered the buses and secured the release of some passengers, while the remaining victims were taken into the bush.
Also Read:Â After freedom, corps members get fresh posting option
The Inspector-General of Police deployed the Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to oversee the rescue effort.
Police accounts indicated that operatives used drone surveillance to locate the abductors’ hideout but delayed an immediate assault after receiving intelligence that the area might have been planted with improvised explosive devices.
Security agencies subsequently intensified the operation, deploying additional equipment before moving against the suspected kidnappers’ location.
The 20 prospective corps members and another passenger were rescued on October 7 at Amakohia-Ubi village in Imo State, six days after the abduction. They were taken to the DSS hospital in Owerri for medical assessment.
The incident attracted national attention amid reports that the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim, amounting to N1 billion, before reportedly reducing the demand to N5 million per person.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the rescued victims at the DSS facility alongside the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the state DSS director and the commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma praised the collaboration between security agencies and the governments of Imo and Oyo states. He said the state government withheld information during the rescue operation because the captives’ lives were at risk.
The arraignment has renewed attention on the safety of prospective corps members, who travel across the country to attend NYSC orientation camps.
The October 1 incident also highlighted concerns about mass abductions for ransom along the Owerri–Onitsha corridor, a major route linking communities in the South-East and South-South.
The defendants face charges relating to hostage-taking, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms. The allegations remain subject to determination by the court.
Crediblenewng.com
