Nigeria: Court Resumes Trial of Suspects Linked to Abduction of 20 NYSC Members in Imo

The court has resumed the trial of suspects linked to the abduction of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other passengers in Imo State.

The prospective corps members were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on October 1, 2026, while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom States.

The gunmen attacked two buses conveying the corps members and other passengers near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.

The suspects were apprehended in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Abia State during intelligence-led operations conducted between October 10 and 14 by the Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with the military, police, and other security operatives.

Three other suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds, with a manhunt launched for the fleeing members of the gang.

The victims were rescued on October 7 during a joint security operation at Amakohia-Ubi Village in Owerri West Local Government Area. They were subsequently taken to the DSS hospital in Owerri for medical attention.

Police had said operatives located the kidnappers’ camp through drone surveillance but could not immediately advance because the location was reportedly planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).