NYSC kidnapping: Suspects’ identities vindicate us, IPOB says

After five suspects were arraigned over the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members on the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State, IPOB called for a thorough investigation. The group said the suspects—Usman Aliyu, Babangida Aliyu, Mohammed Ali, Aminu Haliru and Ibrahim Jiji—underscore that crimes should not be blamed on IPOB or the Eastern Security Network (ESN) without evidence. In a statement by spokesperson Emma Powerful, IPOB urged authorities to investigate the suspects’ networks and alleged accomplices and publish their findings. It also called for evidence-based security investigations and stronger protection for rural communities in the South-East.