20 Prospective NYSC Members Regain Freedom After Seven Days In Captivity
Twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and one other passenger abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom after spending seven days in captivity.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when gunmen attacked their vehicles on October 1.
Security agencies subsequently launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation to locate the remaining abducted passengers.
The victims were eventually rescued in the Amakohia-Ubi forest area of Owerri West Local Government Area, following an operation involving security agencies.
They have since been taken to a Department of State Services (DSS) medical facility in Owerri, where they are receiving medical attention and undergoing necessary checks.
The rescue brings an end to a week-long ordeal that had generated concern among the victims’ families and heightened concerns over the safety of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps.
Earlier reports said some victims were rescued shortly after the attack, while security agencies continued efforts to locate those still in captivity.
The latest rescue operation involved the military, police, DSS and other security personnel working together to secure the remaining victims.
The development comes amid renewed concerns about the safety of young Nigerians travelling across states for the mandatory national service programme.
