Security forces have identified the hideout where suspected kidnappers are holding National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed that security operatives used drones to track the kidnappers and pinpoint the location of their camp in the bush.
However, the planned rescue operation has been slowed down by intelligence indicating that the area has been heavily planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Bosso said security personnel had already entered the bush and successfully tracked the suspected kidnappers to a particular location but could not immediately advance to the exact coordinates because of the danger posed by the explosives.
“Yesterday we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location. But at that point in time, we couldn’t move in to where the coordinates showed us where they are,” he said.
According to the police commissioner, the drones gave security operatives a clear indication of where the abductors were located, but the suspected presence of IEDs around the camp has created a major challenge.
“But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,” Bosso said.
He explained that security agencies were preparing to bring in additional equipment to make it possible to reach the victims safely.
“We are moving in there with high-velocity vehicles. We are moving with bulldozers and APCs to see how we are going to rescue these victims,” he added.
How the Abduction Happened
The victims were among passengers travelling on two buses when suspected gunmen attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on October 1.
The incident occurred around the Umunoha axis of the road in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The buses were reportedly carrying prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in parts of the South-East and South-South when the attackers struck.
Following the attack, the Imo State Police Command announced that 10 victims had been rescued, while efforts were still underway to establish the exact number of people remaining in captivity.
The Defence Headquarters later provided further details, stating that 20 passengers had been abducted from the two buses, including several prospective corps members.
According to the military, 10 passengers had so far been rescued, among them eight identified prospective corps members.
A joint search-and-rescue operation involving troops of Operation Udoka, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services is continuing, with support from the Nigerian Air Force.
Security agencies are still working to safely reach the kidnappers’ camp, rescue the remaining victims and bring the operation to an end.
Source: Imo State Police Command.
