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The Department of State Services has arraigned five suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly responsible for the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members and one civilian in Imo State.
The incident occurred near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area in Imo State on October 1, 2026.
The suspects were brought before the Justice Oputa State High Court in Owerri, the state capital.
The five arraigned suspects include Ibrahim Jiji, Aminu Haliru, Mohammed Ali, Usman Aliyu and Babangida Aliyu.
Te suspects were apprehended during a series of intelligence-led operations conducted at different locations in Rivers and Abia states. However, in the course of the operation, three other suspects escaped with varying degrees of injury.
Security sources disclosed that the operations were carried out between October 10 and 14 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State.
The victims were subsequently rescued on October 7, 2026, during a joint security operation at Amakohia Ubi Village.
