NYSC kidnap: Police locate abductors’ camp, delay raid over IEDs

The Imo State Police Command has pinpointed the site where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members were held captive by kidnappers, but security forces have postponed an assault on their hideout due to concerns about the presence of improvised explosive devices. Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso revealed this during a media briefing on Saturday, offering an update on the ongoing search and rescue mission.

Bosso explained that drones were utilized on Friday to pinpoint the suspected camp after the abductors were trailed into the forest. He emphasized that the authorities were exercising caution as intelligence suggested the camp was fortified with IEDs. "We're still planning to enter the bush. Yesterday, we were in the bush, we followed them until we reached a specific location.

However, at that moment, we were unable to enter the area where the coordinates indicated the captives were held because we received intelligence indicating that the camp was mined with IEDs," Bosso stated. He added that the police are preparing to deploy heavy machinery, such as bulldozers and armored personnel carriers, to rescue the victims without harm.

According to Bosso, the force is employing high-velocity vehicles like bulldozers and APCs to ensure the safe retrieval of the hostages. This development follows the kidnapping of prospective corps members traveling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, which occurred two days ago. The victims were en route to their training locations when they were attacked along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.

The abducted individuals were transported to a remote location in two buses. Isiah Akpan, the Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, informed Saturday PUNCH that the attackers seized 19 passengers, all prospective corps members, and forced them into the bush. He reported that the bus drivers managed to escape and alerted authorities at a nearby checkpoint, which triggered the security agencies' search efforts.

The abductors have reportedly demanded a ransom of N50 million for each of the 19 victims, totaling N950 million. Some families have been contacted via their abducted relatives' phones, and one of the victims' mothers, Mrs. Oladosu, informed Saturday PUNCH that the kidnappers communicated with her family through her daughter's phone.

A video call was made where some of the victims were seen by Mrs. Oladosu. The Imo State Police Command previously claimed that 10 victims had been rescued, although its spokesperson, Henry Okoye, could not confirm if the released individuals were among the abducted prospective corps members. The latest information suggests that security operatives have identified the location of the remaining captives, and efforts are underway to secure their release.