A joint team of security operatives have arrested five suspected members of the criminal gang allegedly responsible for abducting 20 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State.
The suspects were apprehended during intelligence-led operations conducted by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14.
Three other suspects reportedly escaped during the operations with varying degrees of injuries.
The corps members were abducted on October 1, 2026, along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway. They were subsequently rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi in Imo State.
The victims were subsequently taken for medical assessment and necessary care.
During the search operation, the Imo State Police Command said operatives had traced the kidnappers’ hideout using drone surveillance but faced difficulties accessing the location because it was allegedly planted with improvised explosive devices. Additional operational equipment was deployed as efforts to reach the victims intensified.
The rescue ended the ordeal of the abducted corps members, but security agencies continued efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
The latest arrests represent a significant development in that investigation, with the joint security team seeking to dismantle the criminal network and bring its members to justice.
However, details of the suspects’ alleged individual roles in the abduction, as well as whether further arrests have been made, were not immediately available.
- Media Report