The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, disclosed on Saturday that security operatives had located the suspected hideout but could not immediately move into the area because of the reported explosives.
According to Bosso, security personnel tracked the suspected kidnappers into the bush before deploying drones that helped identify the location where the victims were believed to be held.
He said security agencies were preparing to use bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers as part of efforts to reach the victims safely.
“Our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,” Bosso said.
He added that security personnel were determined to rescue the victims unharmed.
Police Say Operatives Are Closing In
The police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, said security operatives were “closing in on the kidnappers” and that personnel involved in the operation had been briefed on how to approach the suspected hideout.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, had earlier deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, alongside two commissioners of police, to strengthen the search-and-rescue operation in Imo State.
Nadada arrived in the state on Friday and reviewed the personnel, strategy and operational resources deployed for the operation.
Prospective Corps Members Attacked While Travelling to Camp
The graduates were travelling in two buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen reportedly attacked the vehicles along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, on Thursday.
The incident has, however, generated conflicting accounts concerning the number of passengers abducted and those who escaped or were rescued.
Parents Dispute Police Rescue Claim
Parents of the affected prospective corps members have disputed claims that 10 passengers were rescued after the attack.
According to the parents, the 10 people described as rescued by security agencies actually escaped from the kidnappers by fleeing into the bush during the attack.
The families maintained that 20 prospective corps members remained in captivity as of Saturday.
The Imo State Police Command had earlier announced that 10 victims were rescued following the intervention of security agencies.
However, the Defence Headquarters later stated that 20 passengers were abducted, while 10 people, including eight prospective corps members, were rescued during the security response.
The conflicting accounts have made it difficult to establish the exact number of victims still being held by the kidnappers.
Parents Say 30 People Were on the Two Buses
Speaking during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Bodija, Ibadan, representatives of the affected families said about 30 passengers were travelling in the two buses when the attack occurred.
The parents claimed that 10 passengers escaped through the bush while the remaining 20 were taken away by the kidnappers.
They also raised concerns over the passenger manifest provided by the transport company, saying some of the affected prospective corps members were allegedly not listed.
The families appealed to authorities to clarify the number of victims and intensify efforts to secure their release.
Kidnappers Demand ₦1bn Ransom
The families are also facing pressure from the reported kidnappers, who allegedly demanded ₦50 million for each of the 20 prospective corps members.
That would bring the total ransom demand to ₦1 billion.
The parents said the abductors contacted them through the mobile phones of some of the kidnapped graduates and issued a 24-hour ultimatum.
They also alleged that the kidnappers threatened to harm the victims if the ransom was not paid.
One of the parents appealed to the Olubadan and security agencies for urgent intervention, saying the families could not raise the amount demanded.
An earlier report had put the number of abducted passengers at 19, which would amount to a ransom demand of ₦950 million at ₦50 million per person. The families, however, maintained that 20 prospective corps members were still in captivity.
Olubadan Assures Families
The affected parents also sought the intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
Ladoja assured the families that efforts were ongoing to secure the safe release of the abducted graduates.
He said the police were working around the clock and urged the families not to lose hope.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, also said he had been in communication with his Imo State counterpart regarding the incident.
According to him, the Imo State Police Command had assured him that efforts were being made to rescue the victims unharmed.
Security Operation Complicated by IED Threat
The suspected presence of IEDs at the hideout has complicated the rescue operation.
Rather than immediately entering the location identified by the drones, security agencies are reportedly preparing additional equipment and personnel to approach the area.
The use of bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers is expected to help security operatives navigate the suspected camp while reducing risks to both the victims and rescuers.
Authorities have not announced the successful rescue of the remaining prospective corps members as of the latest update.
Calls for Improved Security on NYSC Routes
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of prospective corps members travelling long distances to orientation camps.
The affected graduates were travelling to camps outside their home state when they were attacked, highlighting the security challenges faced by young Nigerians travelling on major highways for national service.
Meanwhile, the African Action Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Omoyele Sowore, called for the suspension and eventual scrapping of the NYSC scheme following the abduction.
Sowore argued that young Nigerians should not be required to travel to distant states for compulsory national service without adequate security arrangements. His comments represent his position on the future of the scheme.
For now, the main focus remains on the ongoing search-and-rescue operation and efforts to secure the safe return of the abducted prospective corps members.
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