Driver and Witness Identify Five Suspects in Imo NYSC Kidnapping Trial

The driver of the transport vehicle carrying twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps members who were abducted in Imo State on Independence Day has formally identified five suspects currently standing trial for the incident. Testifying before the Imo State High Court sitting in Mgbidi as the third prosecution witness, the driver detailed how his vehicle was intercepted and the passengers were taken hostage along the Owerri-Mgbidi-Onitsha Expressway.

During the court proceedings, the driver told the judge that he recognized the first defendant as the individual who approached the bus carrying an AK-47 rifle and subsequently forced the prospective corps members into a nearby bush. A second prosecution witness, identified as Mr Light Timothy, also took the stand and corroborated parts of the account, stating that he witnessed two of the defendants armed with rifles shortly after the abduction took place.

Mr Timothy further testified that he positively identified the first and second defendants during an identification parade conducted at the state office of the Department of State Services. Both witnesses maintained their testimonies regarding the conspiracy, hostage-taking, and unlawful possession of firearms during both examination-in-chief and subsequent cross-examination by defense counsel.

During the cross-examination phase, the defense requested the identification card of the bus driver to verify his credentials. The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Orafu, examined the document and confirmed that the color photograph on the identification card closely resembled the witness testifying in the courtroom. The testimonies alongside the driver's identification document were formally admitted into evidence by the court.

At the conclusion of the Friday session, Justice Orafu adjourned the ongoing trial to early November for the continuation of the hearing. The five defendants were initially arrested by security operatives following the October 1 mass abduction, which targeted young graduates traveling to their designated orientation camp.

Source reporting: Leadership — 2026-10-30 22:59:43