The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspected kidnappers before the Imo State High Court over the alleged abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and four other persons in Imo State.
The defendants were brought before the court on Tuesday, October 20, following their arrest during intelligence-led operations conducted in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14, 2026.
Three of the suspects, identified as Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, nicknamed Smallie Pepper, are accused of abducting 20 prospective corps members on October 1.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen reportedly attacked their buses along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired with other suspects still at large to carry out the abduction. They were also accused of demanding and collecting ₦48 million, alongside an undisclosed amount in US dollars, for the victims’ release.
The three defendants face charges bordering on conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, including 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.
Prosecutors alleged that the pair and other suspects still at large collected ₦8 million as ransom for the victims’ release. 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.
The 20 prospective corps members and another abducted passenger were rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Imo State. The victims subsequently received medical attention.
The arrests followed coordinated efforts involving the DSS, military, police and other security personnel. Three other suspected members of the gang reportedly escaped during the operations with varying degrees of gunshot wounds, prompting a manhunt.
The arraignment marks a significant development in the investigation into the abductions, as security agencies continue efforts to apprehend other suspects allegedly involved in the crimes.
The defendants’ arraignment does not amount to a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to determination by the court.
