The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned 5 males earlier than the Imo State High Court over the alleged kidnapping of 20 potential National Youth (*20*) Corps (NYSC) members and 4 different individuals within the state.
Three of the defendants, Usman Aliyu, 25, often known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, aka Smallie Pepper, have been arraigned over the kidnapping of the potential corps members on Independence Day.
The remaining two defendants, Aminu Haliru, 27, and Tange Ibrahim, 20, aka Jijji, have been accused of kidnapping 4 individuals on October 4.
The 5 defendants face fees bordering on conspiracy, hostage-taking and illegal possession of firearms.
According to the prosecution, the three defendants within the first case, alongside different suspects nonetheless at giant, allegedly kidnapped the potential corps members alongside the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha Expressway on October 1.
The victims have been reportedly travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states after they have been kidnapped. They have been rescued after seven days.
The defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit hostage-taking, punishable below Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
According to the cost sheet filed on the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, Mgbidi, the defendants have been additionally accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, 4 magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of stay ammunition.
In the second case, prosecutors alleged that Haliru, Ibrahim and others nonetheless at giant kidnapped 4 individuals round Owerri and Mgbidi on October 4.
The prosecution additional alleged that the defendants collected N8 million as ransom for the discharge of the victims.
They additionally face fees of unlawfully possessing one AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.
The prosecution listed N1.8 million as cash recovered within the second case.
A DSS investigator and the victims have been listed as witnesses in each instances.
