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

The Imo State Police Command has pinpointed the location where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State are being held, but security forces have hesitated to enter the site due to concerns about potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso provided an update on the search-and-rescue operation during a media interview on Saturday.

He revealed that police utilized drones on Friday to locate the suspected camp after tracking the abductors into the forest. Despite the drone footage revealing the exact whereabouts of the captives, Bosso emphasized that the police were exercising caution as intelligence suggested the camp had been fortified with IEDs. He stated that while they were poised to enter the area, they were holding off due to the mine threat.

Bosso also announced that the security agencies were preparing to move in with heavy machinery, such as bulldozers and armored personnel carriers, to ensure the safe rescue of the victims. The incident occurred two days ago when gunmen stormed a bus carrying prospective corps members en route to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.

The abductors seized 19 passengers and led them into the bush. The drivers managed to escape and alert the authorities at a nearby checkpoint, triggering the police search. The abductors reportedly demanded N50 million for each of the 19 victims, totaling N950 million. One of the victims' mothers, Mrs. Oladosu, disclosed that the abductors contacted her family through her daughter's phone, and they had a video call where some of the victims were present.

The Imo State Police Command had previously claimed that 10 victims had been rescued, though the spokesperson, Henry Okoye, could not confirm if these individuals were among the abducted corps members. The recent update indicates that security forces have zeroed in on the remaining captives' location as the rescue operation continues.