Security operatives have arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly responsible for abducting 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State.
The arrests followed intelligence-led operations conducted by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State between October 10 and 14, 2026.
Three other suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries, while security agencies intensified efforts to track them down. Weapons recovered during the operations included AK-47 rifles, an English pistol and ammunition, according to security sources.
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 when gunmen attacked two commercial buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. They were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims regained their freedom on October 7 following a joint security operation at Amakohia-Ubi in Owerri West Local Government Area. They were subsequently taken for medical assessment.
However, the circumstances surrounding their release remain disputed. While the police attributed it to pressure from security agencies, some relatives maintained that ransom was paid to secure their freedom. The latest report did not establish whether any ransom was recovered during the arrests.
The arrests mark a breakthrough in efforts to apprehend those allegedly involved in the abduction, as the manhunt for the fleeing suspects continues.
