{"id":129789,"date":"2026-10-04T18:43:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T17:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=129789"},"modified":"2026-10-04T18:43:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T17:43:34","slug":"ied-threat-delays-rescue-of-abducted-nysc-members-in-imo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/ied-threat-delays-rescue-of-abducted-nysc-members-in-imo\/","title":{"rendered":"IED Threat Delays Rescue of Abducted NYSC Members in Imo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>By Lizzy Chirkpi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Security agencies have located the suspected hideout where prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State are being held, but fears of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have delayed an immediate assault on the camp.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The victims were abducted on Thursday, October 1, when gunmen attacked two buses conveying prospective corps members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The passengers were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Bosso, disclosed on Saturday that security operatives had tracked the abductors into the bush and deployed drones to locate their hideout.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to him, the drones successfully identified the suspected camp, but operatives could not immediately advance because intelligence indicated that the area had been planted with IEDs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cYesterday, we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location. But at that point in time, we couldn\u2019t move in to where the coordinates showed us where they are,\u201d Bosso said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said security forces were preparing to deploy heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to gain access to the camp and minimise risks to the hostages and rescuers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cOur predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,\u201d the commissioner said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The development has heightened anxiety among families of the abducted graduates, who are seeking information about their loved ones.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Reports indicate that the kidnappers have demanded \u20a650 million for each of the 19 prospective corps members reportedly still in captivity, bringing the alleged ransom demand to \u20a6950 million.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">One of the victims\u2019 mothers, Mrs Oladosu, said the abductors contacted the family using her daughter\u2019s phone and briefly allowed relatives to see the captives during a video call.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">She said the victims were seen sitting on the ground in the bush and crying.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWhere will petty traders get N50 million? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?\u201d she lamented.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The police had earlier announced that 10 victims were rescued following the attack, although reports differed over whether all those rescued were prospective corps members.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Defence Headquarters subsequently said 20 passengers were abducted, including prospective corps members, while 10 passengers \u2014 eight of them identified as prospective corps members \u2014 had been rescued.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The operation involves the police, military and other security agencies, with support from the Nigerian Air Force and the Department of State Services.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">With the suspected camp now located, security agencies are faced with the challenge of reaching the victims without triggering explosives believed to have been planted around the hideout.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Families of the abducted graduates continue to await their safe return as security operatives intensify efforts to reach the captives.<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lizzy Chirkpi Security agencies have located the suspected hideout where prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State are being held, but fears of improvised explosive&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":129790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - 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