The State Security Services (SSS), on Tuesday, arraigned three individuals allegedly linked to the kidnapping of 20 potential members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on 1 October in Imo State.
The SSS additionally arraigned two different individuals accused of kidnapping 4 further individuals in the state, three days after the NYSC members’ incident.
The five defendants had been arraigned on the Imo State High Court, Oru Judicial Division, Mgbidi, on the fees of abduction, conspiracy, hostage-taking and illegal possession of firearms.
However, three of them – Usman Aliyu, 25, also referred to as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, in any other case generally known as Smallie Pepper- particularly face three counts of abduction and hostage taking, assortment of ransom of N48 million and {dollars}, in addition to unlawful possession of firearms.
The two others had been particularly charged with conspiracy and hostage taking punishable underneath Section six of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
The SSS prosecutors informed the courtroom that the trio and others nonetheless at giant kidnapped the NYSC members alongside the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha Expressway on 1 October.
The prosecutors mentioned the NYSC members had been travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states after they had been kidnapped.
According to a duplicate of the cost sheet, which was sighted by PREMIUM TIMES, the defendants had been accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, 4 magazines, a pistol and eighty-one rounds of reside ammunition.
The three defendants pleaded not responsible to the three-count cost of abduction and hostage taking, assortment of ransom of N48 million and {dollars}, in addition to unlawful possession of firearms.
Two different defendants
In a associated matter, two different defendants had been accused of abducting 4 folks round Owerri and Mgbidi on 4 October.
The defendants had been Aminu Haliru, 27, and Tange Ibrahim, 20, popularly generally known as Jijji.
The SSS prosecutors informed the courtroom that Messrs Haliru and Ibrahim and others nonetheless at giant allegedly collected N8 million to launch the 4 victims.
They had been additionally charged with illegal possession of one AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.
The prosecution mentioned N1.8 million was recovered from defendants in the second matter.
The secret police listed an SSS investigator and the victims as witnesses in each issues.
Not responsible plea and remand
The five defendants individually pleaded not responsible when the fees had been learn to them, Vanguard newspaper reported.
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Following their not responsible plea, the state counsel, Ekezie Nwauzo, filed a movement for the defendants to be remanded in jail.
Ruling on the movement, the trial choose, Emeka Orafu, ordered that the defendants be remanded on the SSS facility.
The choose then adjourned the issues till 22, 27, 28, and 29 October for listening to.
Nnaemeka Adipuo stood in for the primary and second defendants in the case of abduction of potential NYSC members whereas Paschal Ofoma represented the third defendant.
Abduction and launch
Recall that PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the 20 potential NYSC members had been launched on 7 October, precisely one week after they had been kidnapped on 1 October.
This newspaper additionally reported that the potential NYSC members had been launched following a joint operation carried out by safety operatives, together with the SSS, navy personnel and police operatives in Imo State.
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