The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspects allegedly involved in the kidnapping of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Imo State.
The five suspects were arraigned on Tuesday following their arrest during intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14, 2026, in Rivers and Abia states.
The arrests reportedly followed investigations into the abduction of the prospective corps members, who were travelling through Imo State when they were kidnapped.
On October 16, 2026, media reports emerged suggesting that DSS operatives, the military and the police had arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly responsible for abducting 20 National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State on October 1.
Three other suspects reportedly escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries during intelligence-led operations conducted in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14, 2026.
Security sources said the operations were carried out in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The arrests followed the abduction of 20 NYSC members by armed men along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway on Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day, as they travelled to their designated 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.
A security source described the arrests as a major breakthrough, saying security agencies had sustained a manhunt for the suspected abductors 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. We strongly believe they will be charged to court by DSS and the corps members will get justice,” the source said.
The source expressed confidence that the arrests would advance efforts to prosecute those allegedly involved in the abduction and ensure justice for the victims.
The abduction, which occurred during the Independence Day celebrations, raised concerns over the safety of travelers and NYSC members on major highways.
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