The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members kidnapped while travelling from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia State have regained their freedom.
They regained their freedom seven days after they were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The rescued victims are undergoing treatment at the Department of State Services Hospital in Owerri, Imo State.
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier-General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the facility to meet the victims and assess their condition.
He was accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Imo State.
Nafiu also addressed the rescued victims during the visit.
Also, the Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, had confirmed this to The PUNCH on Wednesday.
Authorities have yet to provide details on the circumstances surrounding the rescue, including whether any of the suspects were arrested or a ransom was paid.
The PUNCH reports that the 20 graduates were travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps on Thursday when gunmen attacked the two buses conveying them.
The abductors demanded N50 million for each victim, amounting to N1 billion.
They later reduced the ransom to N5 million per person, totalling N100 million.
Following the incident, security agencies commenced a search operation aimed at locating the victims and rescuing them from their abductors.
The state police command subsequently announced that its operatives had traced the kidnappers’ hideout using drone surveillance.
However, the security team reportedly could not immediately access the camp after discovering that the area had been planted with improvised explosive devices.
The security agencies later brought in additional equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to facilitate access to the location.
The abduction had heightened concerns among the victims’ relatives, particularly after reports emerged that the kidnappers were demanding N50m for each captive.
The police had earlier confirmed that 10 of the abducted persons had been rescued, while the search for the others continued.
With the latest rescue, all 20 prospective corps members and the additional victim have regained their freedom and are currently receiving medical care in Owerri.
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, commended the security agencies for their efforts in securing the victims’ release.
The governor “praised the personnel for what he described as their cooperation and patriotism in ensuring that the corps members were brought out safely.”
In a statement he personally signed, Uzodimma also acknowledged the joint efforts of the Oyo and Imo State governments towards securing the release of the remaining captives, according to Channels TV.
He said the sensitive nature of the operation, which involved the safety of the victims, informed the decision by the government to keep details of the efforts away from the public while the operation was ongoing.
Uzodimma expressed gratitude to the security agencies for the discreet and coordinated manner in which they handled the operation.
He also praised the victims’ parents for remaining patient throughout the ordeal and urged Nigerians to maintain confidence in the Federal Government’s efforts to address insecurity.
