Two men standing trial over the alleged kidnapping of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Imo State have denied involvement in the crime and appealed to the court for forgiveness and their release.
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The defendants, Usman Aliyu and Babangida Aliyu, made the appeals while presenting their defence before Justice Emeka Orafu of the Imo State High Court in the ongoing trial arising from the abduction of prospective corps members travelling to their orientation camps.
The defendants maintained that they had no connection with the kidnapping, despite acknowledging that they appeared in audio-visual recordings in which they narrated circumstances surrounding the incident.
The case arose from the October 1, 2026, abduction of 20 prospective corps members travelling to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were allegedly intercepted by armed men along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State.
The defendants are among those being prosecuted following investigations conducted by the State Security Service (SSS) into the incident.
Opening his defence as the first defence witness (DW1), Usman Aliyu, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Paschal Ofoma, denied participating in the abduction.
He told the court that security operatives arrested him while he was on his way to his shop in Aba, Abia State.
According to Usman, he was not informed of the reason for his arrest until the following day, when he was accused of involvement in the kidnapping of the prospective corps members.
He explained that he subsequently made a statement to the SSS, which was interpreted into Hausa before he thumbprinted it.
The defendant maintained that he was innocent of the allegations against him.
When asked by his counsel whether he had anything further to tell the court, Usman pleaded for forgiveness and requested his release.
During cross-examination by prosecution counsel, Mr Ekezie Nwauzor, the defendant provided details about his residence, business premises and personal circumstances before his arrest.
He told the court that the shop he occupied belonged to his elder brother, Umar Mohamed, who currently resides in Oyo State.
Usman also stated that he had evidence of payment for a self-contained apartment in Ariaria, Aba, on his mobile phone.
He identified two persons, Ibrahim and Mohammed, as his co-tenants and named Chinedu as his landlord.
However, when questioned about evidence gathered during the investigation, Usman acknowledged that he appeared in an audio-visual recording in which he narrated his alleged involvement in the kidnapping.
Despite acknowledging the recording, he maintained that he did not participate in the crime.
He also denied that he had been identified during an identification parade conducted as part of the investigation.
The second defendant, Babangida Aliyu, similarly denied involvement when he testified in his defence.
Led in evidence by Ofoma, Babangida told the court that he lived in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he operated a small business selling noodles, bread and tea.
He explained that SSS operatives arrested him on a Saturday evening while he was at his shop in the Oil Mill area of Port Harcourt.
Babangida maintained that he had no connection with the abduction and denied knowing the first defendant, Usman Aliyu, before the incident.
He also appealed to the court to forgive and release him, explaining that he had a wife and a child who depended on him for their welfare.
During cross-examination, however, the prosecution questioned him about the location and ownership of the shop where he claimed to have operated his business.
Babangida was unable to state the name of the street on which the shop was located.
He told the court that he purchased the shop from a man identified as Bello, an indigene of Kebbi State.
However, he admitted that he had no documentary evidence establishing his ownership of the premises.
The defendant further confirmed that his statement to investigators was obtained in the presence of his lawyer and recorded through audio-visual means.
He also acknowledged appearing in a video in which he narrated what happened during the abduction of the prospective corps members.
Despite these acknowledgements, Babangida maintained his denial of involvement in the kidnapping.
The defendants’ testimonies followed the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, during which witnesses gave accounts of the abduction and the circumstances surrounding the identification of the alleged kidnappers.
Two prospective corps members who testified for the prosecution had earlier narrated their experiences during the abduction and identified persons they alleged were responsible for taking them hostage.
The prosecution also presented evidence concerning the investigation that led to the arrest of the suspects, including statements and audio-visual recordings obtained by security operatives.
However, the defendants have challenged their alleged involvement and maintained that they should not be held responsible for the incident.
Their acknowledgement of appearing in recorded statements does not, by itself, amount to a judicial finding that they committed the offences charged.
The court is expected to evaluate the prosecution’s evidence alongside the defendants’ testimonies before determining their culpability.
Following the defence testimonies and cross-examination, the matter was adjourned until Friday, November 6, 2026, for continuation of hearing.
The defendants remain entitled to the presumption of innocence until the allegations against them are determined by the court.
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