Twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states have regained their freedom, alongside one other victim.
The victims were recovered from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State following a joint security operation.
They were subsequently taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri for medical examination and treatment.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, was at the clinic to address the rescued prospective corps members, accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the DSS Director and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade.
The victims were abducted on October 1 when gunmen intercepted two buses conveying them from Ibadan near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The attack prompted a joint search-and-rescue operation by security agencies.
According to the Imo State Police Command, officers used a drone to locate the kidnappers’ hideout but could not immediately move into the area because it was reportedly planted with improvised explosive devices.
Additional equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, was later deployed to support efforts to reach the captives.
Reports that the abductors demanded ₦50 million for each victim heightened anxiety among their families. It remained unclear whether any ransom was paid or arrests were made during the operation.
The police had earlier announced the rescue of 10 victims following the attack. The latest account did not clarify how those earlier rescues relate to the reported release of the 20 prospective corps members and one other victim.
Reacting to the development, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, commended the security agencies and expressed relief that the prospective corps members had been freed unharmed.
In a statement he signed, Uzodimma praised the cooperation between the Oyo and Imo State governments in securing the release of all 20 prospective corps members.
He explained that the authorities limited public disclosures during the operation because lives were at stake, accounting for the discreet handling of the incident.
The governor thanked the security agencies for their coordinated efforts and commended the parents for their patience during the ordeal.
He also urged Nigerians to keep faith in the Federal Government’s ability to address the country’s security challenges.
