OWERRI, NIGERIA — Security forces have located a forest hideout believed to be holding some of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.
The suspected kidnappers were traced to the location through intelligence operations and drone surveillance, according to the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso.
However, security personnel have yet to enter the suspected camp because intelligence indicates that the area may have been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Drone Surveillance Identifies Location
Bosso said security operatives had followed the abductors into the bush before reaching a point where drones were deployed to obtain the coordinates of the suspected hideout.
“Yesterday we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location,” the commissioner said.
He explained that the security team could not immediately advance to the location identified by the drones because of the reported presence of explosives.
“But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,” Bosso said.
The reported explosives have introduced additional risks for the rescue teams, with authorities now preparing a specialised operation to reach the victims without exposing personnel to unnecessary danger.
Bulldozers And APCs To Be Deployed
According to the police commissioner, security agencies are preparing to move towards the location with specialised equipment and protected vehicles.
He said bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) would be deployed to clear the route and help secure access to the suspected camp.
“We are moving in there with high-velocity vehicles. We are moving with bulldozers and APCs to see how we are going to rescue these victims,” Bosso said.
The operation is expected to involve multiple security agencies as authorities attempt to recover the remaining abducted passengers.
Attack On Two Buses
The search follows the October 1 attack on two buses travelling along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.
The buses were carrying prospective corps members and other passengers who had travelled from Ibadan and were heading towards NYSC orientation camps and other destinations in the South-East and South-South.
The attack occurred around the Umunoha axis of Mbaitoli Local Government Area as the buses travelled towards Uyo in Akwa Ibom State and Bende in Abia State.
Armed men reportedly emerged during the journey and took a number of passengers into the surrounding bush.
Ten Victims Rescued
The police later recovered both buses and rescued 10 passengers at the scene.
The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, said tactical units and personnel from other security agencies were deployed to pursue the attackers and locate those still missing.
“Two buses, conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, and Bende in Abia, respectively, were attacked by suspected armed men,” Okoye said.
He confirmed that the rescued passengers were safe and receiving assistance.
“Following a swift response by the Police and other security agencies, both buses have been recovered and 10 victims were rescued at the scene,” he said.
Okoye added that coordinated search-and-rescue operations were continuing, supported by intelligence-led tracking.
Military Joins Rescue Operation
The Defence Headquarters subsequently reported that 20 passengers had been taken from the two buses, including prospective corps members.
It said 10 people, including eight prospective corps members, had been rescued.
Troops operating under Operation Udoka were reportedly working alongside the police and the Department of State Services, with aerial support from the Nigerian Air Force.
The combined operation is focused on locating and recovering the remaining victims.
Oyo Government Supports Operation
The incident has also prompted intervention from the Oyo State Government because some of the affected prospective corps members travelled from the state.
The government said it was coordinating with the Imo State Government, security agencies and the NYSC to support efforts to secure the victims’ release.
Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed the release of resources required to support the operation.
“We are fully committed to securing the safe release of our children and will stop at nothing to ensure that they are reunited with their families without harm,” Oyelade said.
He added that state officials remained in contact with security authorities, the Imo State Government and NYSC leadership.
Families Await Safe Return
The discovery of the suspected hideout provides security agencies with a location to focus their rescue efforts, but the reported presence of IEDs means the operation remains hazardous.
Authorities are expected to use specialised equipment and protected vehicles as they approach the area.
For the families of the remaining abducted passengers, the priority remains the safe recovery of their relatives as security agencies continue efforts to reach the forest camp.
