The Imo State Police Command says it has located the camp where prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in the state are being held, but the presence of suspected improvised explosive devices has delayed the rescue operation.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, disclosed the development in an interview on Saturday, saying operatives had tracked the abductors to a location in the bush.
Bosso said security personnel could not immediately enter the camp because intelligence indicated that the area had been mined with explosives.
“Yesterday we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location. But at that point in time, we couldn’t move in to where the coordinates showed us where they are,” he said.
According to the commissioner, drone surveillance enabled security operatives to pinpoint the location of the camp.
“The drone actually showed us exactly their location. But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the IEDs, the camp is mined with IEDs,” Bosso said.
He said the police were deploying additional equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to support the rescue operation and safely reach the victims.
“We are moving with bulldozers and APCs,” he said, adding that the objective was to rescue the victims unhurt.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, was deployed to Imo State by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to coordinate the operation.
Nadada assured the families of the abducted corps members that security agencies were working to secure their safe release and urged them to cooperate with the operatives.
“Definitely, let them be rest assured that they are going to be rescued safely. They should cooperate with us. I know it’s difficult, particularly for the parents of the victims,” he said.
“I know what they are feeling, but they should work with the security agencies.”
Bosso said an investigation into the abduction had commenced but declined to identify the perpetrators, describing them only as unknown gunmen.
“The investigation has commenced. We don’t want to pre-empt anything,” he said.
Nadada added that the Inspector-General of Police had ordered the deployment of additional operational assets and tactical teams to reinforce personnel already in the area.
“So definitely we are working hard to ensure that all those victims are rescued,” he said.
Families Receive Ransom Demands
Meanwhile, families of the abducted corps members have continued to receive reported ransom demands, deepening anxiety over the safety of the victims.
Some parents have appealed to the Nigerian Government and relevant authorities to intervene and secure their children’s release.
Olawale Olaleke said his son, who was posted to Abia State, was abducted before reaching his destination.
Another parent, Olawale Olalere, appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde and President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
He said the victims had spent the night in Onitsha before continuing their journey towards Imo State.
“We are here to appeal to the government to come to our rescue. This morning, when they confirmed that they have been kidnapped, they’re already demanding N50 million naira on each victim,” he said.
Mrs Oladosu said her daughter, Greatness, was travelling to Uyo when she was abducted.
She said the kidnappers briefly contacted the family through her daughter’s phone and allowed relatives to see Greatness and other victims during a video call.
According to her, the victims were seen sitting on the ground in the bush and crying.
“Where will petty traders get N50 million? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?” she said.
Another victim’s mother, Alimotu Akanke, said her son, Akande Farouq, who was posted to Abia State, managed to send a brief message to the family before communication was lost.
Farouq reportedly sent the word “Kidnappers!” to the family’s WhatsApp group before his phone went off.
Friends and relatives of the victims have also launched social media campaigns seeking assistance and calling for their safe release.
A manifest from the two buses reportedly listed 30 passengers, with 15 people in each bus. However, the number of people actually abducted and the identities of any victims who may have been rescued have yet to be fully clarified, as security agencies have not released the transport company’s manifest.
Oyo Government Condemns Abduction
The Oyo State Government has condemned the abduction and assured the victims’ families that efforts were being made to secure their release.
The assurance was given at the Oyo State Government Secretariat when affected families visited the premises to protest the abduction.
The Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Sunday Odukoya, who received the group, appealed for calm and assured them that the governor was working with relevant stakeholders to secure the release of the corps members.
Security agencies are continuing the operation to reach the reported location of the abducted corps members while efforts are being made to neutralise the suspected explosive threat and secure the victims’ safe release.