NYSC Abduction: Imo Court Admits DSS Evidence Against Five Kidnap Suspects
An Imo State High Court has admitted audio-visual recordings, written statements, firearms and cash tendered by the Department of State Services (DSS) in the ongoing trials of five kidnapping suspects, including three accused of abducting 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members on Independence Day.
The exhibits were admitted on Tuesday, October 27, during proceedings presided over by Justice Emeka Orafu.
A DSS operative, Ikem Emmanuel, who appeared as the prosecution’s principal witness, testified that the defendants made statements allegedly admitting their involvement in conspiracy, hostage-taking and unlawful possession of firearms.
Emmanuel tendered audio-visual recordings of the alleged confessions, the defendants’ written statements, firearms recovered during the investigation and money allegedly recovered from them.
The court admitted the exhibits and directed that the firearms and cash be kept in DSS custody.
The witness maintained that the defendants’ statements were obtained in the presence of their legal representatives and DSS legal officers.
In a separate kidnapping case involving two other defendants, the DSS officer also gave evidence concerning the investigation and tendered audio-visual recordings of their statements, written statements and cash recovered in naira.
He told the court that the statements were obtained under caution in the presence of the defendants’ lawyers and DSS legal officers.
The officer, however, could not tender his investigation report before the proceedings ended.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Justice Orafu adjourned both cases to October 28, 29 and 30 for continuation of proceedings.
The judge also ordered that all five defendants remain in DSS custody.
Background to the NYSC abduction
The case involving the prospective corps members arose from the abduction of 20 people travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were reportedly abducted by gunmen near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on October 1, 2026.
A joint security operation subsequently led to their rescue from a forest in the state.
Three defendants are facing charges relating to the abduction, while two others are being tried in a separate case involving the alleged kidnapping of four people.
The DSS subsequently arrested five suspects in operations conducted in Rivers and Abia states.
The defendants have been charged with offences including conspiracy and hostage-taking. They remain defendants in ongoing criminal proceedings, and the allegations against them have yet to be determined by the court.
The latest hearing forms part of the court’s efforts to advance the cases, which were previously scheduled for consecutive hearings between October 27 and 30.
Proceedings are expected to continue on Wednesday, October 28.
