Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State, security sources say.
The arrests were made in operations involving the Department of State Services, the military and police in Rivers and Abia states between October 10 and 14. The operations covered Port Harcourt and Aba South Local Government Area, according to security sources cited by Punch and Vanguard.
A DSS source told Punch that operatives were still searching for other suspected members of the gang, including people who reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries. The source also said AK-47 rifles, ammunition and an English pistol were recovered.
The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 near Umunoha on the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Mbaitoli Local Government Area. They were travelling in two buses from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
Channels Television reported that the victims were freed on October 7 at Amakohia-Ubi in Owerri West and taken to the DSS hospital in Owerri for medical checks. NaijaTrend reported their release and medical care here.
The circumstances of their release remain contested. Punch reported that families disputed the police account of a rescue and said a ransom had been paid. Its DSS source did not say whether any ransom money was recovered during the arrests.
Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Channels Television
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