For seven days, families of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members lived through fear and uncertainty after their loved ones were kidnapped on their way to begin national service.
Their long wait finally ended on Wednesday as security agencies rescued the victims alive from their abductors’ hideout in Amakohia Ubi Village, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
The victims, who were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, were abducted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The rescue operation, carried out by the Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with sister security agencies, also led to the freedom of another victim who was held alongside the corps members.
After their release, the rescued prospective corps members were taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri, where they are receiving medical attention and undergoing necessary checks.
Their return brought relief to their families, friends and colleagues who had waited anxiously for news about their safety since the incident occurred.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the victims at the DSS Clinic in Owerri, accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, DSS Director and Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade.
The Police Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the rescue followed sustained search-and-rescue operations by security agencies.
According to him, “Efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for the abduction, as the Police and other security agencies sustain coordinated operations towards bringing all culpable persons to justice.”
The incident had caused widespread concern after the two buses conveying the prospective corps members came under attack near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Following the abduction, security agencies launched a coordinated operation to locate the victims and rescue them from captivity.
The operation involved intelligence gathering, surveillance and deployment of additional security assets as efforts intensified to reach the abducted travellers.
Reacting to the development, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma praised the security agencies for their commitment and cooperation in securing the release of the victims.
The governor also thanked the parents of the corps members for their patience and urged Nigerians to continue supporting efforts to tackle insecurity in the country.
The rescue of the 20 prospective corps members has brought renewed hope to many Nigerians and highlighted the importance of collaboration among security agencies in protecting citizens on the nation’s highways.