The Department of State Services has arraigned five suspected members of a criminal gang over the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members and another civilian in Imo State.
The suspects were brought before the Justice Oputa State High Court in Owerri, the state capital, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
The victims were abducted on October 1, 2026, near Umunoha in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
According to reports, armed men attacked two buses conveying the prospective corps members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway before taking the victims away.
The abduction triggered a coordinated security operation involving the DSS, police, military and other security agencies to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.
The 20 prospective corps members and the other abducted civilian were rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia-Ubi Village in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state. The victims were subsequently taken to the DSS hospital in Owerri for medical attention.
The five suspects were arrested during intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The suspects were identified in reports as Ibrahim Jiji, Aminu Haliru, Mohammed Ali, Usman Aliyu and Babangida Aliyu.
Three other suspected members of the gang reportedly escaped during the operations with varying degrees of injuries, prompting security agencies to continue efforts to track them down.
The arrests followed days of investigations and a manhunt for those allegedly involved in the attack.
A security source described the arrests as a major relief, noting that security agencies had sustained efforts to apprehend the suspected kidnappers and ensure that the victims obtained justice.
The source expressed confidence that the suspects would face prosecution over their alleged involvement in the abduction.
The arraignment marks another step in the investigation into the incident, which raised concerns about the safety of prospective corps members travelling to their assigned orientation camps.
The case is expected to establish the allegations against the suspects through the judicial process. The suspects remain accused persons, and their guilt must be determined by the court.
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