Three security guards accused of kidnapping and banditry in Oyo State were apprehended with the help of technology, according to Department of State Service (DSS) official Mr. Stephen Okolo.
Okolo made this statement during his Monday evidence before Federal High Court Judge N.E. Maha in Ibadan. He was testifying as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the case against three Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) officials and one other.
The fourth defendant, Emmanuel Olatunji, is an unlicensed arms dealer, and the three NSCDC officers are Olamide Okesola, Adedeji Adewale, and Asmau Omar.
“My lord, following the increase in the cases of kidnapping and banditry in Okeogun area of Oyo State and parts of Kwara, the DSS fashioned out how to address the issue by deploying our technical expertise, that is equipment.
“With sustained surveillance, we were able to detect, trace, and arrest the criminals involved.
“My lord, two kingpins; one Baguda and the other Banshile, who were the most dangerous terrorists operating in that axis were identified in the process.
“The operation which led to the arrest of one Lawan Buhari, and one of the NSCDC’s officials believed to be supplying ammunitions to the terrorists commenced in January 2023.
“Further operation led to the arrest of the other three defendants, Okesola, Olatunji and Adewale,” Okolo said in court.
The PW1 presented a bag filled with 1,000 rounds of live ammunition to the court as an exhibit that was gathered from Buhari.
He said that by severing the terrorists’ ammunition supply chain, the command was able to lower the high rate of kidnapping and banditry in the region.
The PW2, Lawan Buhari, testified that he was paid thousands of naira to supply the defendants with AK-47 weapons and ammunition, which they then transported to their terrorist connections.
“Before I was apprehended and detained at the 81-battalion barrack at Mokola, I was serving with the Operation Burst security outfit where the trio approached me to start supplying them arms,” Buhari stated.
The defendants were charged on a 15-count amended charge that bordered on conspiracy, terrorism, unlawful arms trading, and aiding and abetting terrorism, according to DSS prosecuting counsel Mr. T.A. Nurudeen, who told the court.
Each of the four defendants entered a not guilty plea to the accusations.
In order to continue the trial, Maha postponed the lawsuit until February 11.