The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and one other person abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom.
The victims were rescued from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area following a coordinated operation by security agencies.
They have since been taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri, where they are receiving medical attention and undergoing necessary checks.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, is currently at the DSS clinic in Owerri, where he is addressing the rescued victims. He is accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the 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 attacked near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Following the abduction, security agencies launched a search-and-rescue operation. The Imo State Police Command later said its operatives located the kidnappers’ camp through drone surveillance but could not immediately enter the area because it was reportedly planted with improvised explosive devices.
The police subsequently deployed additional operational assets, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, as efforts intensified to reach the victims.
The abduction had caused anxiety among the victims’ families following reports that the kidnappers demanded ₦50 million for each victim. Police had earlier confirmed the rescue of 10 victims while efforts continued to locate the others.
Details of the latest operation, including whether any arrests were made or ransom was paid, have not been made public.
Uzodimma Applauds Security Agencies
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has commended security agencies for securing the release of the 20 prospective corps members.
In a statement he personally signed, Uzodimma expressed satisfaction with the collaboration and patriotism displayed by the security agencies in ensuring that the victims were rescued unharmed.
He also praised the Oyo and Imo State governments for their collaborative efforts towards securing the release of the abductees.
The governor said the government deliberately avoided releasing too much information because the matter involved the security of lives, adding that the operation was therefore handled discreetly.
Uzodimma thanked the security agencies for their coordinated approach and commended the victims’ parents for their patience during the ordeal.
He urged Nigerians to continue to have faith in the Federal Government in its efforts to tackle the country’s security challenges.