DSS Tenders AK-47 Rifles In Trial Of NYSC Kidnap Suspects

The Department of State Services (DSS) has tendered three AK-47 rifles, ammunition and a pistol as exhibits in the trial of three defendants accused of kidnapping 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

A prosecution witness, Ikechukwu Emmanuel, told the court on Tuesday that the first defendant, Usman Aliyu, led security operatives to a bush in Okuku, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, where the weapons were allegedly concealed and buried.

The firearms tendered as exhibits included three AK-47 rifles, four magazines, 81 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition and an unbranded, unregistered English-made pistol.

Emmanuel, the first prosecution witness, gave the account while being led in evidence by the Principal State Counsel, Ekezie Nwauzor.

He said the weapons were recovered from a thick bush after Aliyu took investigators to the location during the investigation.

According to the witness, the recovered items were taken to the DSS office in Owerri, where the three defendants allegedly confirmed that the weapons had been used in the kidnapping of the 20 NYSC-bound travellers on October 1, 2026.

The witness also told the court that the families of the kidnapped victims paid a total ransom of ₦48 million to secure their release.

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He said ₦47 million was paid in dollars, while the remaining ₦1 million was paid in naira.

Emmanuel further testified that Aliyu admitted during interrogation that the dollars had subsequently been exchanged for naira.

However, only ₦155,200 was recovered from the three defendants when they were arrested, the witness said.

Following the proceedings, the court ordered that the recovered firearms, live ammunition and cash be kept in the custody of the DSS State Command’s armourer in Owerri.

The case, marked HOU/22C/2026, is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

The defendants are standing trial over the alleged kidnapping of the 20 prospective corps members. The allegations remain before the court.

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