Twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and a civilian who were abducted in Imo State have been rescued following a coordinated intelligence-led operation involving the military, Department of State Services (DSS), police and other security agencies.
The victims were reportedly travelling through Imo State when they were intercepted and abducted by suspected gunmen. Their abduction had triggered a major search-and-rescue operation, with security agencies deploying personnel and intelligence resources to track the victims and their abductors.
The rescue operation followed days of intensified efforts by security agencies. Earlier, the police and military had deployed tactical teams and other operational assets to locate the abducted corps members, while intelligence gathering and surveillance were used to track the suspected kidnappers.
The rescued victims are currently receiving medical attention at a DSS facility, while security authorities continue efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and apprehend those responsible.
The incident had generated widespread concern after the prospective corps members, travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South, were abducted along the Owerri–Onitsha axis on October 1. Security agencies had since intensified operations to secure their safe release.
