Twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another person abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom following a coordinated rescue operation by security agencies.
The victims, who were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, were rescued from a forest in Amakohia-Ubi, Owerri West Local Government Area.
They were subsequently taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri, where they are receiving medical attention and undergoing medical checks.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the victims at the DSS clinic, accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the DSS and the Brigade Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade, Imo State.
The two buses conveying the prospective corps members had come under attack near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, after which the victims were taken into the surrounding bush.
Following the incident, security agencies launched a search-and-rescue operation aimed at locating the abducted corps members and their captors.
The Imo State Police Command had earlier disclosed that its operatives located the kidnappers’ camp through drone surveillance but could not immediately access the area after discovering that it had reportedly been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Additional operational assets, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, were subsequently deployed as security forces intensified efforts to reach the victims.
The abduction had sparked anxiety among the victims’ families, particularly following reports that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₦50 million for each victim.
Police had earlier announced the rescue of 10 of the abducted persons, while the search continued for those still being held.
With the latest rescue, all 20 prospective corps members and the other abducted victim have now regained their freedom.
Uzodimma Commends Security Agencies
Reacting to the development, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, commended the security agencies for their efforts in securing the release of the victims.
The governor, in a statement personally signed by him, praised the collaboration among the security agencies, as well as the cooperation between the Oyo and Imo State governments.
Uzodimma said the security of the victims was treated as a priority, explaining that authorities deliberately restricted information in the public domain while the rescue operation was ongoing.
He expressed appreciation to the security agencies for their discreet and coordinated handling of the incident and commended the victims’ parents for their patience throughout the ordeal.
The governor also urged Nigerians to remain hopeful and support ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to tackle security challenges across the country.
