Abducted 20 NYSC Corps members, one other regain freedom in Imo

The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another passenger abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom, ending a six-day ordeal that triggered a major joint security operation.

The victims were rescued on Wednesday and are currently receiving medical attention at the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri, according to the latest information on the incident.

The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, was at the DSS hospital on Wednesday to meet the rescued victims.

He was accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the DSS and the Brigade Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade, Imo State.

The victims were abducted on October 1 when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The buses were conveying prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

The initial police response led to the recovery of the two buses and the rescue of 10 victims, while security agencies continued searching for those taken into the bush.

The operation subsequently expanded to involve the police, military, DSS and other security agencies. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, alongside additional tactical resources, to oversee the rescue operation.

Security agencies later located the suspected hideout of the abductors, but an immediate assault was reportedly delayed by intelligence indicating the presence of improvised explosive devices around the area.

The latest development brings to an end the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the remaining abductees, after their families spent days seeking information about their whereabouts.

The abduction had also raised fresh concerns about the safety of graduates travelling to NYSC orientation camps, particularly as the scheme had advised prospective corps members to avoid night journeys and comply with travel safety guidelines.

The incident occurred shortly after the NYSC introduced reforms that include risk-sensitive deployment, following growing security concerns around the movement and deployment of corps members. The reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council in June included changes to the call-up process and orientation programme, as well as continued security support for the scheme.