The Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with the military and the Nigeria Police Force, has arrested five suspects allegedly linked to the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State.
The suspects were apprehended during intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14, 2026, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
Three other suspected members of the gang reportedly escaped during the operations with gunshot injuries, prompting security agencies to intensify efforts to track them down.
The arrests followed the abduction of the prospective corps members on October 1, when armed men intercepted vehicles conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.
POLITICS NIGERIA gathered that the victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the incident occurred.
The attack happened near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, where the gunmen reportedly seized the passengers and took them into the bush.
The incident raised fresh concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to begin their national service, particularly those moving across states to attend orientation camps.
The 20 prospective corps members and another passenger were eventually rescued on October 7 during a coordinated security operation at Amakohia-Ubi in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
Following their release, the victims were taken to the DSS hospital in Owerri for medical attention and necessary checks.
The rescue came after several days of efforts by security agencies to locate the abductors and establish the whereabouts of those being held.
During the search operation, Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, had disclosed that security operatives used drone surveillance to trace the suspected kidnappers to a forest hideout.
However, the police commissioner said the operation faced difficulties after the location was reportedly found to have been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), making it dangerous for the operatives to advance immediately.
Security personnel subsequently continued efforts to reach the victims and secure their release.
Three suspected members of the gang reportedly escaped during the operations with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
Their escape has led to an ongoing manhunt as security operatives seek to apprehend the remaining suspects.
The arrests were carried out in Rivers and Abia states, indicating that the investigation extended beyond the location where the victims were abducted.
However, details concerning the identities of the five arrested suspects, the specific allegations against each of them, and any charges that may have been filed in court were not established in the reports available at the time of writing.
It also remains necessary to establish whether the suspects have been formally arraigned and whether a court has issued any orders concerning their detention.
The incident had earlier attracted attention after reports emerged that the kidnappers demanded ransom from the victims’ families.
POLITICS NIGERIA had reported that the abductors initially demanded N1 billion before the amount was reportedly reduced to N5 million per victim, bringing the total demand to N100 million.
Families of some of the abducted prospective corps members subsequently disclosed that they had raised millions of naira while trying to secure the release of their relatives.
In a separate report, some parents said money contributed towards securing the victims’ freedom was later returned.
However, they could not establish whether the ransom had reached the kidnappers or identify those responsible for returning the funds.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, also said he was not aware of any ransom payment, maintaining that pressure from security operatives forced the kidnappers to release their captives.
The rescue operation involved multiple security agencies, including the police, military and DSS, as efforts continued to locate the victims and bring the situation under control.
Recall that POLITICS NIGERIA had earlier reported the release of the 20 prospective corps members and another passenger on October 7, following their abduction along the Owerri-Onitsha Road six days earlier.
The publication also reported concerns raised by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), which called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the vehicles conveying the prospective corps members.
The association’s demand followed reports about the circumstances in which the buses stopped along the route before the armed men allegedly emerged and abducted the passengers.
Further details concerning the suspects’ identities, the charges against them and any court proceedings will be necessary to establish the next stage of the case.
