OWERRI — The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned five men before the Imo State High Court sitting in Mgbidi, Oru Judicial Division, over two kidnapping cases.

Three of them, Usman Aliyu (25), Babangida Aliyu (21) and Mohammed Ali (23), are accused of abducting 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps on 1 October on the Owerri–Mgbidi–Onitsha Expressway. The victims were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom States and were rescued after seven days. The three are also accused of possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of ammunition.

The charges include conspiracy and hostage-taking under Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law of 2009.

In a separate case, Aminu Haliru (27) and Tange Ibrahim (20) are accused of kidnapping four people around Owerri and Mgbidi on 4 October and collecting a ransom of N8 million, of which N1.8 million was recovered. They are also charged with possessing an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.

All five pleaded not guilty. The judge, Justice Emeka Orafu, ordered that they be held in the custody of the State Security Service and adjourned the cases to later dates this month. The corps members were freed on 7 October after a joint operation by the DSS, the military and the police.