An Imo State High Court has scheduled four consecutive days for the trial of five suspected kidnappers, including three accused of abducting 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, with judgment targeted before January 2027.
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Emeka Orafu fixed October 27 to 30 for further proceedings in two separate kidnapping cases on Thursday, urging prosecution and defence lawyers to cooperate with the court to ensure the trials are concluded within the stipulated period.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Ikem Emmanuel, an officer of the Department of State Services (DSS), testified about the investigation that led to the arrest of the three suspects accused of abducting the prospective corps members.
Emmanuel said the investigation involved intelligence gathering, data analysis, record checks, interviews and statements obtained from the defendants, victims and witnesses.
He told the court that an identification parade was conducted, during which victims and witnesses identified the defendants as members of the gang allegedly responsible for the abduction.
The DSS officer also said one of the defendants, Usman Aliyu, admitted in his statement to participating in the operation and disclosed that 11 people were involved.
Emmanuel added that the defendants’ statements in both cases were recorded in the presence of their lawyers and DSS legal officers.
He also testified in the separate case involving two other defendants accused of kidnapping four persons, stating that their statements were similarly recorded in the presence of their legal representatives and DSS officials.
The five defendants — Mohammed Ali, Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu, Ibrahim Jiji and Aminu Haliru — were arraigned on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court subsequently adjourned both cases to October 27, 28, 29 and 30 for continuation of the hearings and ordered that the defendants remain in DSS custody.
The three suspects accused of abducting the prospective corps members allegedly carried out the attack on October 1, when gunmen intercepted two buses conveying the victims from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The attack occurred near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, prompting security agencies to launch search-and-rescue operations.
The kidnappers reportedly demanded a ransom of ₦1 billion before reducing the amount to ₦5 million per victim.
On October 7, a joint team of DSS, military and police operatives rescued the abducted corps members from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Imo State.
Following the rescue, security operatives continued investigations and arrested five suspects during operations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba, Abia State, between October 10 and 14.
Three other suspects reportedly escaped during the operations with gunshot wounds.
