*Proves IPOB Wrongly Blamed For Southeast Insecurity, Say Spokesman
THE Department of State Services (DSS), on Tuesday, October 20, arraigned three persons in connection with the kidnapping of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on 1 October in Imo State.
It also arraigned two other persons accused of kidnapping four additional persons in the state, three days after the NYSC members’ incident.
The five defendants were arraigned at the Imo State High Court in Mgbidi on charges of abduction, conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms.
The three- Usman Aliyu, 25, also known as Chonge; Babangida Aliyu, 21; and Mohammed Ali, 23, otherwise known as Smallie Pepper- specifically face three counts of abduction and hostage taking, collection of ransom of N48million and dollars, as well as illegal possession of firearms.
The two others were charged with conspiracy and hostage taking, punishable under Section 6 of the Imo State Prohibition of Hostage Taking and Related Offences Law No. 4 of 2009.
The DSS prosecutors told the court that the trio and others still at large abducted the NYSC members along the Owerri-Mgbidi-Onitsha Expressway on 1 October while they were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
A copy of the charge sheet indicated that the trio were accused of unlawfully possessing three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, a pistol and 21 rounds of live ammunition.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of abduction and hostage taking, collection of ransom of N48million and dollars, as well as illegal possession of firearms.
The two other defendants- Aminu Haliru, 27, and Tange Ibrahim, 20, popularly known as Jijji, were accused of abducting four people around Owerri and Mgbidi on October 4.
The prosecutors told the court that Haliru and Ibrahim and others still at large allegedly collected N8million to release the four victims, out of which N1.8million was recovered from them.
They were also charged with unlawful possession of one AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun.
The DSS listed its investigator and the victims as witnesses in both matters.
The five defendants separately pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
Consequently, the state Counsel, Ekezie Nwauzo, filed a motion for them to be remanded in prison.
Ruling on the motion, Justice Emeka Orafu ordered that they be remanded at the SSS facility and adjourned the matters until October 22, 27, 28, and 29 for hearing.
The first and second defendants in the case of abduction of prospective NYSC members were represented by Nnaemeka Adipuo, while Paschal Ofoma stood in for the third defendant.
In its reaction to the arraignment, the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), led by Nnamdi Kanu, said the development raises doubt regarding previous instances of kidnapping and other crimes in the Southeast blamed on the group or its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
IPOB, in a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, said: “Had this atrocious kidnapping happened without these suspects being caught red-handed, who would the Nigerian security apparatus and hostile media have blamed?”
It noted that in previous incidents, security agencies and sections of the media “instinctively and falsely” blamed Biafra agitators and ESN, leading to the arrest and alleged abuse of innocent Igbo youths, adding: “Today, the world can clearly see those actually responsible for the kidnappings, killings, and systemic insecurity plaguing the Southeast.”
IPOB said the arrests and arraignment demonstrated that it is not responsible for criminal activities in the region, insisting that ESN was established to protect communities and forests from criminal elements.
It stated: “This revelation serves as a categorical confirmation that IPOB and ESN have no hand in any form of criminality in our land.
“ESN was formed solely to defend our farmers, mothers, and territorial integrity against ruthless invaders.”
The group commended the DSS director in Imo State and the prosecution team for what it described as professional handling of the case, saying the security agencies could have blamed the incident on IPOB or ESN, but instead identified and prosecuted the suspects allegedly connected to the crime.
It added: “However, the ethnicity, true origins, and full identities of these criminal elements must be thoroughly uncovered and made known to the international community to tell the world who these terror merchants in the South-East really are.
“This incident validates the foresight of our leader, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who established the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to safeguard our forests against these very threats.”
