Five arrested over abduction of 20 prospective corps members

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police on Friday arrested five suspected members of a gang allegedly responsible for the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State on Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day, Punch reports.

Three other suspected members of the gang escaped with gunshot injuries, prompting a massive manhunt. Security sources said the suspects were apprehended in intelligence-led operations carried out between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.

The prospective corps members were abducted by armed men along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State on October 1, 2026, while travelling to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. They were rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi Village.

The arrests mark a significant breakthrough in efforts to track down the perpetrators, dismantle the criminal network and bring those involved to justice.

A security source described the development as a major relief. “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.