The Department of State Services has arraigned three men over the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State, while two other defendants face charges over a separate kidnapping.
The five defendants appeared before the Imo State High Court on Tuesday, October 20. The charges concern hostage-taking, conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms.
Daily Trust and Vanguard identified the three accused in the corps members’ case as Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu and Mohammed Ali. Prosecutors allege that they and others still at large abducted the victims on the Owerri-Onitsha route on October 1.
Vanguard reported that the three pleaded not guilty to charges including abduction and hostage-taking, collecting N48 million and dollars in ransom, and illegal possession of firearms. The allegations have not been proved in court.
Daily Trust reported that the firearms charge in that case concerned three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of ammunition.
The two other defendants are accused of abducting four people on October 4 in a separate case. Daily Trust reported that prosecutors alleged N8 million was collected for their release, and listed N1.8 million as money recovered. Vanguard reported that those defendants also pleaded not guilty.
Channels Television and Daily Post described all five suspects as linked to the corps members’ abduction. Daily Trust and Vanguard gave a more specific breakdown, placing three defendants in that case and two in the October 4 kidnapping case.
The prospective corps members had been travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. NaijaTrend previously reported the arrests in Rivers and Abia states here.
Vanguard reported that Justice Emeka Orafu granted the prosecution’s request to keep the defendants in DSS custody. It listed further hearings for October 22, 27, 28 and 29.
Sources: Daily Trust, Vanguard, Channels Television, Daily Post
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