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 the abduction of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Imo State on Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day.
Five other suspected members of the gang reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries, prompting a massive manhunt to track them down.
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News Point Nigeria reports that the arrests were made during a series of intelligence-led operations conducted by security operatives in Rivers and Abia states, although accounts of the number of suspects who escaped during the operations differ.
Security sources said the operations took place between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
Recall that 20 prospective NYSC members were abducted 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.
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The victims were subsequently rescued on October 7, 2026, during a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi Village.
The series of operations marks a significant breakthrough in efforts to track down the perpetrators, dismantle the criminal network allegedly responsible for the abduction and bring those involved to justice.
A security source described the development as a major relief, noting that security agencies had sustained a wide-ranging manhunt for the abductors.
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“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 in court by DSS, and the corps members will get justice,” the source said.
