Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and another victim abducted along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom.
The rescued victims are currently receiving medical attention at the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri, where the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited them on Wednesday.
Nafiu was accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the DSS in the state and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade.
The victims were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The two buses conveying the prospective corps members were attacked near Umunoha in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, resulting in the abduction of several passengers.
Following the incident, security agencies launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims and apprehend their abductors.
The Imo State Police Command subsequently disclosed that its operatives had identified the kidnappers’ camp through drone surveillance. However, the security forces were unable to immediately access the location after discovering that the area had reportedly been heavily mined with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Additional operational assets, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, were later deployed as security agencies intensified efforts to reach the victims.
The abduction sparked widespread concern among the victims’ families, particularly following reports that the kidnappers were demanding ₦50 million for each captive.
Police authorities had earlier confirmed the rescue of 10 victims, while operations continued to secure the release of those still in captivity.
The latest rescue brings the ordeal of the 20 prospective corps members and the other abducted victim to an end, with all the rescued persons now receiving medical attention in Owerri.
Reacting to the development, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma commended the security agencies for their swift and coordinated efforts that led to the safe rescue of the victims.
In a statement personally signed by him, Uzodimma expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between the security agencies and the governments of Imo and Oyo states, which he said contributed significantly to the successful operation.
The governor explained that because the matter involved the safety of human lives, authorities deliberately avoided making sensitive information public while the rescue operation was ongoing.
He praised the security agencies for the discreet and collaborative manner in which they handled the situation and commended the parents of the victims for their patience and understanding throughout the ordeal.
Uzodimma also urged Nigerians to maintain confidence in the Federal Government and the security agencies as efforts continue to address the country’s security challenges.
