Security forces have located the bush camp where abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members are believed to be held in Imo State, but the presence of suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has complicated efforts to reach the victims.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, disclosed that security operatives had tracked the kidnappers to a location in the bush using intelligence and drone surveillance.
The victims—prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom—were abducted after gunmen attacked two buses in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.
According to Bosso, operatives followed the kidnappers to the area but were unable to move directly into the camp after intelligence indicated that explosives had been planted around the location.
“The drone actually showed us exactly their location. But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the IEDs, the camp is mined with IEDs,” the commissioner said.
He explained that security agencies were deploying additional operational equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to support efforts to access the location and rescue the victims safely.
The objective, he said, was to secure the release of the abducted graduates without putting their lives or those of the rescue personnel at unnecessary risk.
Police Assure Families of Safe Rescue
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, who was deployed to Imo State by Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu to coordinate the rescue operation, appealed to the families of the victims to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.
Nadada acknowledged the emotional strain on the families but assured them that security agencies were working to secure the victims’ safe release.
The police have also commenced an investigation into the incident.
Bosso, however, declined to identify the perpetrators, describing them only as unknown gunmen and saying authorities would not pre-empt the outcome of the investigation.
The police leadership has directed the deployment of additional tactical teams and operational assets to reinforce security personnel already conducting the rescue operation.
Families Face Ransom Demands
While security agencies intensify efforts to locate and rescue the victims, families of the abducted graduates are facing growing anxiety amid reported ransom demands.
Some relatives who spoke to Channels Television appealed to both the state and federal governments to intervene and secure the release of their children.
Olawale Olaleke said his son was among the graduates posted to Abia State for the national service programme and was abducted before reaching his destination.
Another parent, Olawale Olalere, appealed directly to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and President Bola Tinubu for urgent intervention.
He said the passengers had travelled from Samonda and spent the night in Onitsha before continuing their journey the following morning. According to him, they were abducted after reaching the Owerri area of Imo State.
He further alleged that the kidnappers were demanding ₦50 million for each victim.
For families already struggling financially, such demands have created an additional layer of fear and uncertainty.
‘Where Will Petty Traders Get ₦50 Million?’
Mrs. Oladosu, whose daughter Greatness was travelling to Uyo, said the kidnappers briefly contacted the family using her daughter’s phone.
According to her, the family was allowed to see Greatness and other victims during a video call.
She said the abducted graduates appeared to be sitting on the ground in the bush and crying.
“Where will petty traders get N50 million? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?” she asked.
Another mother, Alimotu Akanke, said her son, Akande Farouq, who was posted to Abia State, managed to send a brief message to the family before communication was lost.
Farouq reportedly sent a single word—“Kidnappers!”—to the family’s WhatsApp group before his phone went offline.
Online Campaigns Seek Help
As uncertainty continues, friends, colleagues and relatives of the abducted graduates have begun using social media to draw attention to the incident and appeal for assistance.
The campaigns are calling for urgent government intervention and the safe release of the victims.
Reports indicate that a manifest from the two buses contained 30 passengers, with 15 passengers listed on each bus. However, the exact number of people abducted, as well as the identities of anyone who may have been rescued, remain subject to clarification.
Security authorities have yet to publicly release the official transport-company manifest.
Oyo Government Condemns Abduction
The Oyo State Government has condemned the abduction and assured the affected families that efforts were underway to secure the release of the victims.
The assurance was given at the Oyo State Government Secretariat when relatives of the abducted graduates visited the government in protest and sought urgent intervention.
Sunday Odukoya, Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, who received the families, appealed for calm and said the governor was engaging relevant stakeholders to support efforts to secure the safe release of the corps members.
For the families, however, every passing hour brings greater uncertainty.
With the suspected kidnappers’ location now reportedly identified, attention has shifted to the security agencies’ next move: navigating the reported explosive threat, reaching the camp and bringing the abducted graduates home safely.
The immediate priority remains clear—rescue the victims alive and reunite them with their families.
