DSS, Army Foil ESN Plot to Abduct WASSCE Candidates in South-East, Recover Arms Cache
DSS, Army Foil ESN Plot to Abduct WASSCE Candidates in South-East, Recover Arms Cache
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), working in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army, have foiled an alleged plot by members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN) to abduct students participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in parts of the South-East.
Security sources disclosed that the planned attacks were aimed at schools in Enugu, Anambra, and Imo states, with the objective of causing panic and disrupting academic activities across the region.
According to a highly placed security source, the operation followed actionable intelligence indicating that members of the group were mobilising weapons and logistics for coordinated attacks on selected schools.
Acting on the intelligence, DSS operatives and military personnel reportedly raided an alleged ESN armoury in the Agbani axis of Enugu State, leading to the recovery of a significant cache of weapons and operational materials.
Items recovered during the operation included eight AK-47 rifles, 12 AK-47 magazines, 323 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a smoke grenade launcher, and two teargas canisters.
Security operatives also recovered 10 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) trousers, eight NYSC T-shirts, and four NYSC lanyards, raising concerns that the suspects intended to disguise themselves as corps members during the planned operation.
Intelligence reports further suggested that the attackers intended to stage the abductions in a manner that would create the impression that armed bandits had infiltrated the South-East region.
Several suspects were reportedly arrested during the raid, while investigations are ongoing.
In a related operation conducted on Tuesday, a joint DSS-military team raided another suspected ESN armoury around the Garki area of Enugu State.
Recovered during the operation were a rocket launcher, two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) warheads, three RPG chargers, and three AK-47 rifles.
Other items recovered included six AK-47 magazines, two handheld grenades, one teargas gun, two teargas canisters, 270 rounds of NATO 7.62x39mm ammunition, 478 rounds of 7.62x39mm special ammunition, a bandolier, and a baton.
The latest recoveries came barely a week after DSS operatives arrested five suspected arms couriers linked to gunmen involved in the abduction of students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri Village, Niger State, on November 21, 2025.
The suspects, including two citizens of the Republic of Niger, were apprehended in coordinated operations across Kaduna, Niger, and Kebbi states.
Security agencies recovered 15 AK-103 rifles, 15 magazines, and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the suspects.
According to security officials, the outlawed ESN has been linked to a series of attacks on security personnel, kidnappings, and violent incidents in parts of the South-East.
The source disclosed that the recent operations followed intelligence generated from the arrest and interrogation of suspected members of the group in Enugu State.
Security agencies have intensified intelligence-driven operations across the region to dismantle terrorist cells, disrupt arms supply networks, and prevent attacks on critical national assets and civilian targets.
Officials said efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the group and recover additional weapons believed to be hidden in various locations.
Authorities have also reassured residents, parents, and school authorities of their commitment to ensuring the safety of students participating in the ongoing WASSCE examinations and maintaining security across the South-East.
By TimesNG