NYSC Kidnap: Police Locate Abductors’ Camp, Delay Rescue Operation Over IED Fears

The Imo State Police Command has located the suspected camp where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road are believed to be held.

However, security operatives have delayed moving into the area after intelligence reports indicated that the camp may have been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The development was disclosed on Saturday by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, as security agencies continued efforts to rescue the victims.

Bosso said security operatives used drones on Friday to identify the location after tracking the abductors into a bushy area.

According to him, the drone provided the security team with the exact coordinates of the suspected camp, but the operation could not immediately proceed because of intelligence suggesting that the area had been mined with explosives.

The commissioner said the security agencies were preparing to enter the area with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to reduce the risks involved and rescue the victims safely.

He explained that the operation required careful planning because the priority was to bring the abducted prospective corps members out alive.

The victims were reportedly abducted on Thursday while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

They were travelling in two buses when gunmen reportedly attacked them around the Umunoha area of Imo State, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.

The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, said the abductors took 19 passengers into the bush. The drivers reportedly escaped and alerted security personnel at a nearby checkpoint, leading to the commencement of a search operation.

Reports also indicate that the abductors have demanded N50 million for each victim, which would amount to N950 million for all 19 prospective corps members.

Some families were reportedly contacted using the phones of their abducted relatives. One of the victims’ mothers, Mrs Oladosu, said her family was contacted through her daughter’s phone and that some of the victims were seen during a video call.

The kidnapping has raised fresh concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to participate in the NYSC orientation programme.

The Imo State Police Command had earlier announced that 10 people had been rescued during the security operation. However, police spokesperson Henry Okoye said he could not confirm whether those rescued were among the prospective corps members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.

The latest information from the Commissioner of Police suggests that security agencies have now narrowed down the location of the remaining victims.

The reported presence of IEDs has added another layer of difficulty to the rescue operation, forcing security personnel to balance the need for swift action with the safety of the hostages and officers involved.

With the suspected location of the abductors now identified, security agencies are preparing for a carefully coordinated operation to secure the release of the 19 prospective corps members.

The immediate focus remains on rescuing the victims safely while dealing with the reported explosive threat around the camp. Families of the abducted youths and their communities will now be watching closely as security agencies continue the search-and-rescue effort.