The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspects allegedly linked to the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and a civilian along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State on the first day of this month.

The suspects were brought before the Justice Oputa State High Court in Owerri, the state capital, following their arrest during intelligence-led operations in Rivers and Abia states.

The victims were abducted by gunmen near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area on October 1, 2026, while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The abduction triggered a security operation aimed at locating the victims and apprehending those responsible for the incident.

On October 7, the 20 prospective corps members and the civilian were rescued from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area. 

They subsequently received medical attention at the DSS hospital in Owerri.

Following the rescue, the DSS arrested five suspects during intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba, Abia State.

The operations involved a joint security team led by the DSS, working in collaboration with the military, police and other security operatives.

Three other suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds, prompting a manhunt for them and other fleeing members of the suspected kidnapping syndicate.

The arraignment marks a further step in the investigation into the abduction, as the prosecution of the five arrested suspects gets underway.