The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspects allegedly linked to the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another passenger in Imo State.
The suspects were arrested during intelligence-led operations conducted in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba, Abia State, between October 10 and 14, 2026.
The arrests followed the abduction of the prospective corps members on October 1, when armed men attacked two buses conveying passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the incident occurred.
On October 7, the 20 prospective corps members and the other abducted passenger were rescued from the Amakohia-Ubi community in Owerri West Local Government Area following a joint security operation.
They were subsequently taken to the DSS hospital in Owerri for medical attention.
The latest arrests involved a coordinated operation by the DSS, military and police, as security agencies intensified efforts to track down those allegedly responsible for the abduction.
However, three other suspects reportedly escaped during the operations with gunshot injuries, prompting security operatives to continue the manhunt for the fleeing suspects and other alleged members of the gang.
The arraignment marks a new development in the investigation, as authorities move to prosecute those accused of involvement in the abduction.
The case is expected to shed further light on the alleged kidnapping network as legal proceedings continue.
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