Imo State

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspects over the abduction of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and a civilian in Imo State.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has launched an investigation into allegations of impropriety surrounding the receipt, management and disbursement of a N100 million gift from the Imo State Government to its Owerri Branch, amid growing questions from members over how the money was handled.

Former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, was arrested in Abuja on Monday night by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force over an investigation into alleged criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation arising from the disputed All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Imo West.

The closure is tentatively scheduled to begin on October 20, 2026, subject to final confirmation, as the authority moves to address deteriorating sections of the runway and improve the airport's operational capacity ahead of the Christmas travel season.

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, made the revelation in an interview with News Central Television on Wednesday, recounting how the abductors initially demanded ₦50 million for each of the victims before eventually reducing the ransom for her son to ₦6 million.

The victims were travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the abduction occurred last Thursday.

The developments emerged from two separate kidnapping incidents involving prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South, and farmers abducted from their fields in Niger State.

The rescue in Imo came after suspected kidnappers intercepted two commercial buses conveying prospective corps members and other passengers along the Onitsha-Owerri Road in the early hours of Thursday.

Gunmen have abducted 20 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) travelling along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State, in a fresh highway attack that has renewed concerns over the security of corps members undertaking the mandatory national service programme.

The operational visit of Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu to the Imo Police Command on 24 September 2026 was an important opportunity to assess the security situation in the state and reinforce professionalism.