The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspects before the Imo State High Court over the alleged kidnapping of 24 persons, including 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
The suspects are facing charges bordering on conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms in two separate cases instituted before the court.
Three of the defendants — Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, alias Smallie Pepper — were accused of abducting the prospective corps members on October 1, 2026, Nigeria’s Independence Day.
According to the charge sheet filed at the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, Mgbidi, the defendants and other accomplices still at large allegedly abducted the victims along the Owerri-Mgbidi-Onitsha Expressway.
The victims were reportedly travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when they were seized. They were rescued after spending seven days in captivity.
In a statement on Tuesday, the DSS said the three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit hostage-taking, an offence punishable under Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
The agency also accused them of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of live ammunition.
Two Other Suspects Arraigned Over Abduction of Four Victims
In a separate case, the DSS arraigned Aminu Haliru, 27, and Tange Ibrahim, 20, also known as Jijji, over the alleged abduction of four persons around Owerri and Mgbidi on October 4, 2026.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants and their accomplices, who remain at large, collected N8m as ransom for the victims’ release.
The two suspects were also accused of unlawfully possessing an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.
The prosecution listed N1.8m as money recovered in connection with the second case.
A DSS investigator and the victims were listed as witnesses in both cases as proceedings against the defendants commenced.
