DSS, Military, Police Arrest Five over NYSC Members’ Kidnap

Security operatives have arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang accused of abducting 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State on October 1. Three other suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries during intelligence-led operations in Rivers and Abia states.

Daniel Momodu · October 17, 2026 · 6

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 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State.

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.

Security sources said three other suspected members of the gang escaped during the operations with varying degrees of gunshot injuries, prompting a manhunt for the fleeing suspects.

The arrests came after the abduction of 20 prospective corps members by armed men along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State on October 1, as the victims travelled to their designated 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.

The latest operations form part of efforts by security agencies to identify and apprehend those allegedly involved in the abduction, dismantle the criminal network and bring the suspects to justice.

A security source described the arrests as a major breakthrough, noting that operatives had sustained a manhunt for the abductors following the incident.

The source expressed confidence that the suspects would face prosecution and that the investigation would help secure justice for the affected corps members.

The joint operation involved intelligence gathering and coordinated action across state boundaries, reflecting continued cooperation among security agencies in tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes.

Authorities are expected to continue efforts to locate the fleeing suspects and establish the full circumstances surrounding the abduction.

The arrest of the five suspects marks a further development in the investigation into the incident, which drew concern over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to participate in the national service scheme.