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 displays within the trial of three defendants accused of kidnapping 20 potential National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

A prosecution witness, Ikechukwu Emmanuel, advised the court docket on Tuesday that the primary defendant, Usman Aliyu, led safety operatives to a bush in Okuku, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, the place the weapons had been allegedly hid and buried.

The firearms tendered as displays included three AK-47 rifles, 4 magazines, 81 rounds of dwell 7.62mm ammunition and an unbranded, unregistered English-made pistol.

Emmanuel, the primary prosecution witness, gave the account whereas being led in proof by the Principal State Counsel, Ekezie Nwauzor.

He mentioned the weapons had been recovered from a thick bush after Aliyu took investigators to the situation in the course of the investigation.

According to the witness, the recovered gadgets had been taken to the DSS workplace in Owerri, the place the three defendants allegedly confirmed that the weapons had been used within the kidnapping of the 20 NYSC-bound travellers on October 1, 2026.

The witness additionally advised the court docket that the households of the kidnapped victims paid a complete ransom of ₦48 million to safe their launch.

He mentioned ₦47 million was paid in {dollars}, whereas the remaining ₦1 million was paid in naira.

Emmanuel additional testified that Aliyu admitted throughout interrogation that the {dollars} had subsequently been exchanged for naira.

However, solely ₦155,200 was recovered from the three defendants after they had been arrested, the witness mentioned.

Following the proceedings, the court docket ordered that the recovered firearms, dwell ammunition and money be stored within the custody of the DSS State Command’s armourer in Owerri.

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

The defendants are standing trial over the alleged kidnapping of the 20 potential corps members. The allegations stay earlier than the court docket.