Operatives of the Department of State Services and troops of the Nigerian Army on Wednesday foiled a major attempt by members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network to kidnap scores of students writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination in some Southeast states. The targeted schools for the abductions were located in Enugu, Anambra and Imo states.

According to a statement issued on Thursday, operatives of the secret police and soldiers, acting on credible intelligence, raided an ESN armoury in the Agbani axis of Enugu State. The statement disclosed that intelligence revealed ESN members planned to launch the attacks while wearing National Youth Service Corps uniforms.

The raid led to the recovery of a cache of high calibre arms, including eight AK47 rifles, 12 AK47 magazines and 323 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition. Also recovered were one smoke grenade launcher, two teargas canisters, 10 NYSC trousers, eight NYSC T shirts and four NYSC lanyards.

The statement 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 area. Several members of the organisation were reportedly arrested.

Earlier on Tuesday, a team comprising DSS operatives and soldiers raided another ESN armoury around the Garki area of Enugu. A rocket launcher, two rocket propelled grenade warheads, three RPG chargers and three AK47 rifles were among the arms recovered by the security team. Also recovered were six AK47 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 a baton, the statement added.

The recoveries came barely a week after DSS operatives arrested five suspected arms couriers linked to gunmen who abducted students and staff of St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri Village, Niger State, on November 21, 2025. Had the planned abduction been carried out, it would have further heightened concerns over the resurgence of school kidnappings in Nigeria, where students have repeatedly been targeted by criminal and terrorist groups in recent years. Several mass abductions from schools across the country have drawn national and international attention, prompting increased security measures around educational institutions.