Fresh Update On Abducted NYSC Members As Imo CP Reveals Camp Is Mined With IEDs

The Imo State Police Command has identified the suspected camp where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in the state are believed to be held, but security operatives have delayed moving into the area over fears that it may have been rigged with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed this while providing an update on the ongoing search-and-rescue operation.

The development follows the abduction of prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. The victims were travelling in two buses when gunmen reportedly attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road around the Umunoha area of Imo State.

Bosso said security operatives tracked the abductors into the bush and deployed drones to establish the location of the suspected camp. According to him, the drone surveillance successfully identified the area where the victims were believed to be held.

However, the police commissioner explained that operatives could not immediately enter the location because intelligence suggested that the camp had been mined with IEDs, prompting security agencies to proceed with caution.

Bosso said preparations were underway to deploy heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, as part of efforts to safely gain access to the area and rescue the abducted victims.

He said security personnel would continue the operation despite the challenges posed by the reported explosives, stressing that the priority was to secure the safe release of the victims.

According to Bush Radio Academy, security agencies have intensified the search-and-rescue operation as efforts continue to locate and safely free the abducted prospective corps members. The Nigeria Police Force has also deployed additional senior officers and tactical resources to Imo State to strengthen the rescue operation.