Operatives of the Department of State Services, the military and the police have arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly responsible for the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State.
Three other suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries during the security operations, prompting a manhunt for the fleeing members of the gang.
The arrests followed a series of intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The joint operations were aimed at tracking down those responsible for the abduction, dismantling the criminal network and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted by armed men along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State on October 1, 2026, while travelling to their assigned NYSC 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.
A security source described the latest arrests as a significant breakthrough, noting that security agencies had sustained efforts to apprehend those behind the abduction.
“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 expressed optimism that the arrested suspects would face prosecution, adding that the development would help secure justice for the victims.
“We strongly believe they will be charged in court by DSS and the corps members will get justice,” the source added.
The three suspects who reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries remain the subject of an ongoing manhunt as security agencies continue efforts to apprehend them.
The arrests mark a further step in the investigation into the abduction, which sparked concerns over the safety of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps.
