Five arraigned in Imo over alleged abductions involving prospective corps members
Three defendants face charges linked to the alleged abduction of 20 prospective corps members; two others face charges in a separate case involving four people.
Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) arraigned five people in Imo State on 20 October in two cases involving alleged abductions, including that of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members. All five pleaded not guilty, and a court ordered them held in SSS custody pending hearings later this month, TheNigeriaLawyer reported.
Three defendants face charges arising from the alleged abduction of the prospective corps members on 1 October. The other two face charges in a separate case concerning four people allegedly abducted around Owerri and Mgbidi on 4 October, according to TheNigeriaLawyer. The charges remain allegations; defence lawyers Nnaemeka Adipuo and Paschal Ofoma said the defendants were presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Charges in the prospective corps members’ case
Prosecutors alleged that Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, also known as Smallie Pepper, were involved in abducting the 20 prospective corps members along the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha Expressway. Premium Times reported that the group was travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The prosecution accused the three men of collecting about ₦48 million and foreign currency as ransom, TheNigeriaLawyer reported. Premium Times said a charge sheet it had seen also accused them of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of live ammunition.
The 20 prospective corps members were released on 7 October following a joint operation involving SSS, military and police personnel, Premium Times reported. Their release came one week after the reported abduction.
Separate case involving four alleged victims
In the second case, prosecutors alleged that Haliru and Ibrahim, along with others still at large, abducted four people and collected ₦8 million for their release, according to TheNigeriaLawyer. They also face allegations of unlawfully possessing an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun. The prosecution listed ₦1.8 million as money recovered in connection with that case and named an SSS investigator and the alleged victims among expected witnesses.
State counsel Ekezie Nwauzo sought an order to keep the defendants in custody. Justice Emeka Orafu granted the application, ordering their remand at an SSS facility. The cases were adjourned for hearings on 22, 27, 28 and 29 October, both outlets reported.
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Sources and context
- SSS arraigns five linked to kidnapping of 20 NYSC members in ImoPremium Times
- SSS Arraigns Five Over Alleged Kidnap Of 20 Prospective Corps Members In Imo — Prosecution Cites AK-47s, Ammunition, Ransom ClaimsTheNigeriaLawyer
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.