Recall that PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the 20 prospective NYSC members were released on 7 October, exactly one week after they were abducted on 1 October.
The State Security Services (SSS), on Tuesday, arraigned three persons allegedly linked to the kidnapping of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on 1 October in Imo State.
The five defendants were arraigned at the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, Mgbidi, on the charges of abduction, conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms.
However, three of them – Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, otherwise known as Smallie Pepper- specifically face three counts of abduction and hostage taking, collection of ransom of N48 million and dollars, as well as illegal possession of firearms.
The two others were specifically charged with conspiracy and hostage taking punishable under Section six of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
The SSS prosecutors told the court that the trio and others still at large abducted the NYSC members along the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha Expressway on 1 October.
The prosecutors said the NYSC members were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when they were abducted.
According to a copy of the charge sheet, which was sighted by PREMIUM TIMES, the defendants were accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and eighty-one rounds of live ammunition.
The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of abduction and hostage taking, collection of ransom of N48 million and dollars, as well as illegal possession of firearms.
In a related matter, two other defendants were accused of abducting four people around Owerri and Mgbidi on 4 October.
The defendants were Aminu Haliru, 27, and Tange Ibrahim, 20, popularly known as Jijji.
The SSS prosecutors told the court that Messrs Haliru and Ibrahim and others still at large allegedly collected N8 million to release the four victims.
They were also charged with unlawful possession of one AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.
The prosecution said N1.8 million was recovered from defendants in the second matter.
The secret police listed an SSS investigator and the victims as witnesses in both matters.
The five defendants separately pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them, Vanguard newspaper reported.
Following their not guilty plea, the state counsel, Ekezie Nwauzo, filed a motion for the defendants to be remanded in prison.
Ruling on the motion, the trial judge, Emeka Orafu, ordered that the defendants be remanded at the SSS facility.
The judge then adjourned the matters until 22, 27, 28, and 29 October for hearing.
Nnaemeka Adipuo stood in for the first and second defendants in the case of abduction of prospective NYSC members while Paschal Ofoma represented the third defendant.
Recall that PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the 20 prospective NYSC members were released on 7 October, exactly one week after they were abducted on 1 October.
This newspaper also reported that the prospective NYSC members were released following a joint operation conducted by security operatives, including the SSS, military personnel and police operatives in Imo State.
