Five suspects have been arraigned before an Imo State High Court in Owerri over the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another passenger along the Owerri–Onitsha expressway.

The suspects were identified as Mohammed Ali, Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu, Ibrahim Jiji and Aminu Haliru. Their arraignment followed their arrests during intelligence-led operations in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14, according to the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a statement on Tuesday, the DSS said three of the defendants, Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, also known as Smallie Pepper, 23 were specifically charged over the kidnapping of the prospective corps members.

The defendants were also accused of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking under Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009. The DSS further alleged that they unlawfully possessed three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 81 rounds of live ammunition.

The abduction occurred in the early hours of October 1, when gunmen reportedly attacked two 18-seater buses conveying passengers from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. The incident happened near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

Police spokesperson Henry Okoye had said 10 victims were rescued shortly after the attack, while security agencies launched operations to locate those taken away. The incident later drew public concern after reports that the kidnappers demanded ₦1 billion in ransom before the demand was reportedly reduced to ₦5 million per victim.

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

However, the rescue operation was followed by conflicting accounts over ransom payments. Alirat Wahab, the mother of one of the rescued corps members, told News Central Television that her family paid ₦6 million to secure her son’s release. She and her husband later said the money contributed by their family towards the ransom had been returned.

The DSS said three other suspects escaped during the operations with varying degrees of gunshot wounds, prompting a manhunt for them and other suspected members of the gang. Their whereabouts were not disclosed in the report.

The five defendants’ arraignment marks a further step in the investigation, while the allegations against them remain subject to determination by the court.