Five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly involved in the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State have been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police.
The suspects were arrested during intelligence-driven operations in Rivers and Abia states. In contrast, three other suspected gang members reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds and are being hunted by security operatives.
Security sources disclosed that the operations were conducted between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The arrests followed the abduction of 20 prospective corps members by armed men along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State on October 1, 2026, as they travelled to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State.
The latest arrests are seen as a major step in the ongoing efforts to track down those responsible for the abduction, dismantle the criminal network and ensure that the suspects face justice.
A security source described the arrests as a major relief, noting that security agencies had sustained a wide-ranging search for the abductors.
“This is a huge sigh of relief. Security agencies have been on a search for the abductors, and we are elated that they have been captured. We strongly believe they will be charged in court by DSS, and the corps members will get justice,” the source said.