Five Suspects Arrested Over Abduction of NYSC Members

Saturday October 17, 2026

By SituationREPORT

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police have arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly involved in the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State.

The arrests followed intelligence-led operations conducted in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14. The abduction occurred on October 1, 2026, as the corps members travelled to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

Security sources said the operations took place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and the Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.

Three other suspects reportedly escaped during the operations with varying degrees of gunshot injuries, prompting security agencies to intensify efforts to track them down.

The 20 prospective corps members were abducted by armed men along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway on Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day. Security forces rescued them on October 7 during a joint operation at Amakohia Ubi Village.

The latest arrests are part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to identify those allegedly responsible for the kidnapping and dismantle the criminal network.

A security source described the arrests as a relief after days of searching for the abductors, expressing hope that the suspects would be prosecuted and justice secured for the victims.