DSS arraigns five suspects over abduction of 20 NYSC members in Imo

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspects over the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and a civilian along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway in Imo State.

The suspects are Mohammed Ali, Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu, Ibrahim Jiji and Aminu Haliru.

The case is being heard at the Imo State High Court in Owerri following the suspects’ arrest during intelligence-led operations in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14.

TheCable had reported that the victims were abducted in the early hours of October 1 when gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses conveying passengers from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The attackers reportedly seized the passengers and took them into the bush near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State at about 6:30am.

Henry Okoye, the Imo State police spokesperson, had said 10 victims were rescued shortly after the attack, while search-and-rescue operations were launched to locate those abducted.

The incident attracted further attention after the kidnappers contacted the victims’ families and demanded a ransom of N1 billion, giving them 24 hours to pay.

The ransom demand was later reportedly reduced to N5 million per victim, bringing the total to N100 million for the 20 prospective corps members.

On October 7, a joint team of DSS, military and police operatives rescued the abductees from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Imo State following sustained search operations. The victims subsequently received medical attention.

However, Alirat Wahab, the mother of one of the rescued corps members, later told News Central Television that her family had paid N6 million to secure her son’s release.

Her account differed from the security agencies’ version of events surrounding the rescue.

Wahab and her husband, Obasanjo, subsequently said the money contributed by their family towards the ransom had been returned.

Following the rescue, security operatives continued efforts to identify and apprehend those behind the abduction.

The five suspects were arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba, Abia State, during operations conducted between October 10 and 14.

The operations were led by the DSS in collaboration with the military, police and other security personnel.

Three other suspects reportedly escaped during the operations with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.

A manhunt was subsequently launched to apprehend the fleeing suspects and other members of the suspected kidnapping gang.