The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and one other 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 of the state following a coordinated operation involving 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 medical checks.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu is presently at the DSS Clinic in Owerri addressing the rescued victims.
He’s in company of the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Director DSS and Brigade Commander 34 artillery Imo State.
Details of the operation, including whether any arrests were made or ransom was paid, have not yet been made public.
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 located the kidnappers’ camp through drone surveillance but were unable to immediately enter the location because it was reportedly mined 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 development also triggered anxiety among the victims’ families after reports that the abductors were demanding ₦50 million for each victim.
Police had earlier confirmed that 10 victims were rescued following the attack, while efforts continued to locate the remaining abductees.
The latest development brings an end to the ordeal of the 20 corps members and the other abducted victim, who have now been reunited with safety and are receiving medical attention in Owerri.
Uzodimma Reacts
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has applauded security agencies for their quick intervention in securing the release of the 20 corps members.
He said he was particularly pleased with the security agencies for their collaboration and patriotism in ensuring that the corps members were rescued unharmed.
In a statement he personally signed, Governor Uzodimma also expressed satisfaction with the collaborative efforts of both the Oyo and Imo State Governments towards the quick release of all 20 captives.
He said that since the issue involved the security of lives, the government was cautious about releasing too much information to the public, hence the discreet manner in which it was handled.
The Governor said he was particularly grateful to the security agencies for the discreet and collaborative manner in which they tackled the challenge.
He also praised the parents for their patience during the trying period and urged Nigerians to always have faith in the Federal Government to overcome the current security challenges in the country.
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