operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Military and Police have detained five suspected members of a criminal gang believed to be responsible for the kidnapping of 20 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State on Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day.
The individuals were arrested in a series of intelligence-led operations at several places in Rivers and Abia states, Saturday Independent writes. Three additional suspects escaped in the course of the operation, suffering injuries of various kinds.
The operations were conducted out between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Aba South LGA, sources in the security agencies said. Abia State.
Recall that armed persons kidnaped 20 NYSC members on the Owerri–Onitsha Motorway in Imo State on October 1, 2026, when they were on their way to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims, later rescued on October 7, 2026, in a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi Village.
The series of operations represents a major step in the endeavour to track down the criminals, dismantle the criminal network allegedly responsible for the abduction, and bring those involved to prison.
The development was a big relief, said a security source, as security officials had launched a widespread manhunt for the abductors.
“This is a huge breath of relief. We are happy that the security agencies have been on a quest for the abductors and they have been arrested. “We are very confident they will be charged to court by DSS and the corps members will get justice,” the source added.
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