Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and one civilian abducted in Imo State have regained their freedom following a coordinated operation involving the military, Department of State Services (DSS), police and other security agencies.
The victims were rescued from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state during an intelligence-led operation, according to security sources.
The rescued victims have since been taken to a DSS medical facility in Owerri, where they are receiving medical attention and undergoing necessary checks.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, visited the rescued victims at the DSS facility. He was accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the state Director of the DSS 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 intercepted by gunmen around Umunoha along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Following the incident, security agencies launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation. Troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade worked alongside the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, police, DSS and other security formations in efforts to locate the victims and apprehend the abductors.
Earlier reports indicated that security operatives had located the suspected kidnappers' hideout through intelligence and drone surveillance but faced difficulties accessing the area because of reported improvised explosive devices.
The operation was subsequently intensified as security agencies deployed additional personnel and operational equipment to reach the victims.
The abduction had generated concern among relatives after reports that the kidnappers demanded ransom for the victims. However, authorities have not publicly provided details on whether any ransom was paid or whether arrests were made during the rescue operation.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma commended the security agencies for their coordinated efforts, as well as the Oyo and Imo State governments for their collaboration during the rescue process.
The rescue brings an end to the immediate ordeal of the 20 prospective corps members and the civilian, who are now receiving medical attention while authorities continue efforts to establish further details surrounding the incident.
