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Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police have arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly responsible for abducting 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Imo state.
The suspects were apprehended during intelligence-led operations conducted in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State between October 10 and 14, 2026.
Security sources disclosed that three other suspects escaped during the operations with gunshot injuries, prompting security agencies to intensify efforts to track them down.
The arrests mark a significant development in the investigation into the abduction, which occurred on October 1, 2026, when armed men intercepted the 20 prospective corps members along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway as they travelled to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were subsequently rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo state.
According to security sources, the latest operations form part of sustained efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for the abduction, dismantle the criminal network and bring the perpetrators to justice.
A security source described the arrests as a major breakthrough, noting that security agencies had maintained an extensive manhunt for the suspects since the incident.
“This is a huge sigh of relief. Security agencies have been on a manhunt for the abductors, and we are elated that they have been captured,” the source said.
The source added that the suspects were expected to face prosecution, expressing hope that the victims would obtain justice.
Security agencies are continuing efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects and establish the full circumstances surrounding the crime.
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