NYSC MEMBERS KIDNAP: DRIVER TELLS COURT HE DIDN’T KNOW PASSENGERS HAD AK-47 RIFLES

One of the drivers from whose bus prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps were kidnapped on October 1 has told a court that he was unaware that two of his passengers had AK-47 rifles in a bag.

The NYSC kidnap driver court AK-47 testimony was given on Friday during the ongoing trial of three suspects, Usman Aliyu, Mohamed Aliyu and Babangida Ali, before Justice Emeka Orafu, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE TESTIMONY

The Department of State Services called two witnesses in the suit, HOU/22C/2026, filed over the kidnap of 20 prospective NYSC members who were travelling to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The second prosecution witness, a commercial motorcyclist, Mr Light Timothy, gave a graphic account of how the first and second accused persons hired him to take them to where their colleagues were staying.

According to Timothy, his two passengers were carrying a bag, which he never knew the content of until they reached their destination, where AK-47 rifles were brought out from it.

He recalled that when his passenger put a call to someone, the intonation sounded Hausa or Fulani, and the fellow urged him to ply the Umuguma-Okuku Road in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

Timothy also told the court that at a point, fear gripped him and he wanted to go back, but not long after, four men jumped out of the bush, collected the bag, opened it and brought out the AK-47 rifles.

He said he would have been killed for wasting time on the road if not that one of them pleaded on his behalf and he sped off from that point.

The third prosecution witness, PW3, and Akwa Ibom Transport Company driver, Mr Sunday Udoh, confirmed that he and another driver, Jeremiah, were carrying NYSC members from Ibadan to their orientation camps.

They had a stopover at Onitsha and left at 5:30 a.m. on October 1, 2026. Heading towards Owerri, not long after passing a checkpoint, he noticed two stationary minibuses.

He told the court that on sensing looming danger, he quickly tried to reverse, but his vehicle hit something behind and they were stuck.

According to Udoh, he switched off his vehicle, ran to the other side of the highway, and hid in the nearby bush, watching events from there.

Udoh, after identifying Usman Aliyu as one of the attackers, also said that the kidnappers took away five of his passengers and 15 from Jeremiah’s bus into the bush.

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THE ADJOURNMENT

After thorough cross-examination of the two witnesses by the defence counsel, Paschal Ofoma, Justice Emeka Orafu adjourned the matter for further hearing to November 3, 2026.

WHY IT MATTERS

The kidnapping of 20 prospective corps members on October 1 was a national tragedy that sparked outrage and renewed questions about the safety of young Nigerians travelling to serve their country.

The trial is an attempt to secure justice for the victims and their families. The testimony of the drivers provides a window into how the kidnapping was carried out and the role of the accused persons.

For the DSS, the case is a test of its ability to prosecute terrorism and kidnapping cases effectively.

For the victims, it is a chance to see their abductors held accountable.

For the nation, it is a reminder that the road to justice is often long and difficult. The trial continues on November 3. ValidViewNetwork reports.