Three accused of Independence Day kidnapping; two others face charges over separate abduction of four victims
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned five men before the Imo State High Court over two separate kidnapping incidents involving 24 victims in the state.
Three of the defendants are accused of abducting 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members on Independence Day, while the other two allegedly kidnapped four persons on October 4.
The defendants face charges bordering on conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms.
Those accused in connection with the abduction of the prospective corps members are Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, popularly known as Smallie Pepper.
According to the prosecution, the trio and other suspects still at large allegedly abducted the 20 prospective corps members along the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha Expressway on October 1.
The victims were reportedly travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when they were abducted. They were subsequently rescued after seven days in captivity.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit hostage-taking under Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
According to the charge sheet filed before the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, Mgbidi, the defendants were also accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of live ammunition.
In a separate case, two other defendants, Aminu Haliru, 27, and Tange Ibrahim, 20, also known as Jijji, were arraigned over the alleged abduction of four persons around Owerri and Mgbidi on October 4.
The prosecution alleged that Haliru, Ibrahim and other suspects still at large collected ₦8 million as ransom for the release of the four victims.
They were also accused of unlawfully possessing an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.
The prosecution listed ₦1.8 million as money recovered in connection with the second case.
A DSS investigator and the victims were listed as witnesses in both cases as the prosecution prepared to establish its allegations against the defendants.
