NYSC ABDUCTION: DSS, Military, Police Arrest Five Suspects in Rivers, Abia
Operatives of the Department of State Services, military and police have reportedly arrested five suspected members of a criminal gang linked to the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State.
The suspects were arrested during intelligence-led operations conducted in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State between October 10 and 14, according to reports by Vanguard and The Punch on Friday.
The operations followed the abduction of the prospective corps members along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on October 1, while they were travelling to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The two newspapers, citing security sources, reported that three other suspects escaped during the operations with gunshot injuries, prompting security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend them.
However, the reports contain conflicting figures in their accounts of the number of suspects who escaped, and the discrepancy could not be independently resolved as of the time of filing this report.
The identities of the arrested suspects and the specific evidence linking them to the abduction were not disclosed in the reports.
The arrests came nine days after the 20 prospective corps members regained their freedom on October 7 following a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi village in Imo State.
The Nigeria Police Force had earlier confirmed the rescue, stating that operatives of the DSS, military and police participated in the operation after sustained search-and-rescue efforts.
The victims were subsequently taken for medical assessment and treatment.
The abduction occurred when armed men attacked two buses conveying prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards their orientation camps.
The incident prompted a search operation and appeals from the victims’ families for intervention to secure their release.
TheCable reported at the time that the abductors demanded a ransom from the families, while subsequent reports raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the victims’ eventual release.
The Imo State Police Command said it was unaware of any ransom payment, according to a report published by Vanguard on October 8. However, TheCable reported on October 11 that parents of one of the victims said money their family had contributed towards a ransom was later returned.
The conflicting accounts have left questions about the precise circumstances of the release, although the victims’ safe return was confirmed by multiple news organisations.
The latest reported arrests could help security agencies establish the circumstances of the abduction and identify other people allegedly involved.
However, the suspects remain allegations-based subjects of investigation, and their arrest does not establish guilt. Their identities, the formal status of any investigation and whether charges have been filed were not established in the reports reviewed.
