Joint Security Operations Arrest Five Suspects Over Abduction of 20 NYSC Members
Security operatives have arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang linked to the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State, while three other suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries.
The arrests followed intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South, Abia State.
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 when armed men attacked two buses travelling along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
They were rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia-Ubi in Owerri West Local Government Area.
The latest arrests mark a new phase in the investigation, as security agencies intensify efforts to track down the remaining suspects and establish the roles of those in custody.
According to reports citing security sources, the three fleeing suspects sustained gunshot injuries during the operations. A manhunt is ongoing.
The circumstances surrounding the victims’ release, including conflicting accounts about whether ransom was paid, have also drawn attention. While security agencies announced a rescue operation, relatives of some victims reportedly said money had been paid, raising questions that have yet to be fully resolved publicly.
The arrested suspects are expected to face further investigation as authorities pursue those still at large.
