The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday arraigned five men before the Imo State High Court over the alleged abduction of 20 prospective corps members and four other persons in separate kidnapping incidents in the state.

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 20 prospective corps members on October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day.

The other two defendants, Aminu Haliru, 27, and Tange Ibrahim, 20, also known as Jijji, were charged over the alleged abduction of four persons on October 4.

The five defendants face charges bordering on conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms. According to the prosecution, Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu, Mohammed Ali and others still at large allegedly abducted the prospective corps members along the Owerri-Mgbidi-Onitsha Expressway while they were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The victims were reportedly held captive for seven days before they were rescued.

In the charge filed before the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, Mgbidi, the prosecution accused the three defendants of conspiring to take hostages, an offence punishable under Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.

They were also accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of live ammunition.

In the second case, Haliru and Ibrahim were accused of abducting four persons around Owerri and Mgbidi on October 4.

The prosecution alleged that the two defendants and others still at large collected N8 million in ransom for the release of the victims. They were also accused of unlawfully possessing an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.

The prosecution listed N1.8 million as money recovered in connection with the second case.
A DSS investigator and the victims were listed as witnesses in both cases.