Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army, have foiled an alleged coordinated attempt by members of the proscribed Eastern Security Network (ESN) to abduct students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in parts of the Southeast.
Security sources said the planned attacks were targeted at selected secondary schools in Enugu, Anambra and Imo States, with the aim of mass abductions during examination hours.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the DSS confirmed that the operation was based on credible intelligence which led security forces to raid an ESN hideout and armoury located around the Agbani axis of Enugu State.
The agency disclosed that intelligence reports indicated that the suspects planned to disguise themselves in National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) uniforms to execute the coordinated school attacks and create panic across the region.
During the raid, security operatives reportedly recovered a significant cache of arms and military-style equipment, including eight AK-47 rifles, 12 magazines, and 323 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
Other items recovered included a smoke grenade launcher, two teargas canisters, and several NYSC-branded items such as trousers, T-shirts, and lanyards believed to be intended for disguise operations.
According to the DSS, follow-up operations earlier in the week also led to another raid around the Garki area of Enugu, where additional weapons were allegedly recovered from a separate ESN armoury.
The recovered items included a rocket launcher, RPG warheads, chargers, AK-47 rifles, magazines, handheld grenades, teargas equipment, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
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The statement further revealed that several suspected members of the group were arrested during the coordinated operations.
Security agencies said the foiled plot was designed to stage attacks that would appear as bandit incursions, thereby heightening fear and destabilising the Southeast during the ongoing examination period.
The DSS added that the latest operation followed an earlier arrest of suspected arms couriers allegedly linked to past school abductions, including the kidnapping incident at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State in November 2025.
Authorities warned that the successful disruption of the plan had prevented what could have been a major escalation of school-targeted violence in the region, a recurring security concern that has drawn national attention in recent years.
Security agencies have since intensified surveillance around schools and public spaces across the Southeast to prevent any retaliatory or follow-up attacks.