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ENUGU — A joint operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army has successfully thwarted a major abduction plot targeting students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) in the South-East region.
The foiled plot, orchestrated by members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN), aimed to kidnap scores of students across selected schools in Enugu, Anambra, and Imo states.
According to a statement released by the DSS on Thursday, intelligence revealed a calculated strategy by the attackers to disguise themselves in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniforms. The intent was to infiltrate the educational facilities seamlessly and create the false impression that bandits had invaded the region.
Acting on credible intelligence, security operatives and soldiers raided an ESN armoury in the Agbani axis of Enugu State on Wednesday. The operation successfully disrupted the planned attack and led to the recovery of a massive cache of high-calibre weaponry and operational gear.
Items recovered during the Wednesday raid included:
- Eight AK-47 rifles and 12 AK-47 magazines
- 323 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition
- One smoke grenade launcher and two teargas canisters
- 10 NYSC trousers, eight NYSC T-shirts, and four NYSC lanyards
“Intelligence further revealed that members of the terrorist organisation were to attack selected schools in the Southeast region to create the impression that bandits had invaded the region,” the DSS statement read, confirming the arrest of several members of the group.
This successful bust follows a similarly critical operation conducted earlier on Tuesday in the Garki area of Enugu. During that raid, the joint DSS and military team uncovered another heavily stocked ESN armoury. Recovered arms included a rocket launcher, two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warheads, three RPG chargers, three AK-47 rifles, six magazines, two handheld grenades, and nearly 750 rounds of various ammunition types.
Security agencies noted that these aggressive counter-terrorism sweeps come barely a week after DSS operatives arrested five suspected arms couriers linked to the devastating November 2025 abduction of students and staff at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.
Authorities emphasize that had the South-East abduction plot been executed, it would have dealt a severe blow to regional stability and escalated the ongoing national crisis surrounding school kidnappings. Security measures are reportedly being heightened around educational institutions as students continue their WAEC examinations.
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