DSS, Army Foil Sh*cking Plot To Kidnap WAEC Candidates

Security operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army, have thwarted an alleged plot by the outlawed Eastern Security Network (ESN) to abduct large numbers of students participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) across parts of the South-East.

According to Ireporter Online, the planned attacks were reportedly aimed at selected schools in Enugu, Anambra and Imo states, with the objective of causing widespread panic and creating the impression that armed bandits had infiltrated the region.

In a statement released on Thursday, the DSS disclosed that a joint intelligence-led operation with the Nigerian Army led to the successful raid of an ESN armoury in the Agbani area of Enugu State. The agency said the operation was carried out following credible intelligence indicating that members of the group intended to disguise themselves in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniforms while carrying out the planned kidnappings.

The security team recovered a significant cache of weapons and equipment, including eight AK-47 rifles, 12 AK-47 magazines, 323 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a smoke grenade launcher, two teargas canisters, 10 NYSC trousers, eight NYSC T-shirts and four NYSC lanyards.

The DSS further revealed that intelligence gathered during the operation indicated that the planned attacks were designed to target schools across the South-East in an effort to destabilize the region and spread fear. Several suspected members of the organisation were reportedly apprehended during the operation.

The agency also disclosed that, on Tuesday, another joint team of DSS operatives and soldiers raided a separate ESN armoury around the Garki area of Enugu, recovering additional weapons and explosives.

Items recovered during the second operation included a rocket launcher, two rocket-propelled grenade warheads, three RPG chargers, three AK-47 rifles, six AK-47 magazines, two handheld grenades, one teargas gun, a baton, two teargas canisters, 270 rounds of NATO 7.62x39mm ammunition, 478 rounds of 7.62x39mm special ammunition, a bandolier and another baton.

The latest security breakthroughs come barely a week after DSS operatives arrested five suspected arms couriers allegedly linked to the gunmen responsible for the abduction of students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri Village, Niger State, on November 21, 2025.