Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and another person abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom after days in captivity.

The victims were rescued on Wednesday, October 7, at Amakohia-Ubi in Owerri West Local Government Area following sustained search-and-rescue operations involving the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies. The police confirmed the rescue in a statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu.

Following their recovery, the victims were taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri for medical assessment and necessary care. NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, also visited the facility, accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the state DSS Director and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade.

The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. The two buses conveying them were attacked near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The abduction triggered a major search-and-rescue operation. Earlier in the operation, police had rescued 10 victims, while the number of people still in captivity was being established. Security operatives later located the suspected kidnappers’ hideout, but reports said concerns over improvised explosive devices in the area complicated efforts to immediately enter the location.

The police said investigations and efforts to apprehend those responsible for the abduction are continuing. Authorities have not publicly disclosed details of the rescue operation, including whether any ransom was paid or whether arrests have been made.

Meanwhile, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma commended the security agencies and the governments of Imo and Oyo states for their collaboration in securing the release of the victims. He said authorities deliberately kept operational details out of the public domain because of the need to protect the lives of those in captivity.