The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another victim abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom.
The victims are currently receiving medical attention at the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, is 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 34 Artillery Brigade, Imo State.
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 came under attack near Umunoha in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Following the abduction, security agencies launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims and their abductors.
The Imo State Police Command later said its operatives had identified the kidnappers’ camp through drone surveillance but could not immediately access the location because it had reportedly been booby-trapped with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The police subsequently deployed additional operational assets, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, as efforts intensified to reach the victims.
The abduction sparked anxiety among the victims’ families, particularly following reports that the kidnappers were demanding ₦50 million for each victim.
Police had earlier confirmed the rescue of 10 victims, while efforts continued to locate the remaining abductees.
The latest development means all 20 prospective corps members and the other abducted victim have now regained their freedom and are receiving medical attention in Owerri.
Uzodimma reacts
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has commended security agencies for their intervention, which led to the release of the 20 prospective corps members.
Uzodimma said he was particularly pleased with the collaboration and patriotism demonstrated by the security agencies in securing the victims’ release without harm.
In a statement he personally signed, the governor also praised the collaborative efforts of the Oyo and Imo state governments, saying they contributed to the successful release of all 20 captives.
He explained that because the incident involved the security of human lives, the government deliberately avoided releasing too much information to the public while the rescue operation was ongoing.
Uzodimma expressed appreciation to the security agencies for the discreet and coordinated manner in which they handled the operation.
He also commended the victims’ parents for their patience during the ordeal and urged Nigerians to continue to have faith in the Federal Government’s efforts to address the country’s security challenges.
