The Department of State Services (DSS), working alongside troops of the Nigerian Army, has thwarted a planned kidnapping of students writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in parts of the South-East.
The operation reportedly disrupted plans by members of the outlawed Eastern Security Network, who were said to be targeting schools in Enugu, Anambra, and Imo States.
Security sources said the operation was launched after credible intelligence indicated that the group was preparing coordinated attacks on examination centres.
Acting on the intelligence, operatives raided ESN hideouts and an armoury in the Agbani area of Enugu State, as well as another location around Garki axis, where weapons and other items were recovered.
The DSS explained that the suspects allegedly intended to disguise themselves in NYSC uniforms during the planned attacks in order to mislead the public and create panic.
Recovered items included firearms, ammunition, and materials such as NYSC clothing items, alongside other military-grade weapons and equipment.
Authorities said several suspects were arrested during the operation, which also followed earlier arrests of suspected arms couriers linked to previous school abductions.
The security agencies noted that the intervention prevented what could have been a major escalation of attacks on schools, a recurring security concern across the country in recent years.