morganable News/Security&justice
The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, also confirmed that operatives were tightening the noose around the kidnappers
KaNo—
The rescue of prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State has been delayed following intelligence that the kidnappers’ hideout is rigged with improvised explosive devices, security authorities have said.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, disclosed on Saturday that although operatives had successfully traced the suspected camp deep in the bush, an immediate assault was halted due to the high risk posed by explosives planted around the area.
According to him, security personnel trailed the abductors to a specific location on Friday, aided by drone surveillance which provided precise coordinates of the camp.
“Any moment, we’ll still move into the bush. Yesterday, we were in the bush, we trailed them up to a particular location,” Bosso said.
“But at that point in time, we couldn’t move in to where the coordinate showed us they are because we ran drones yesterday, and the drone actually showed us exactly their location.
“Our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs.”
He added that the delay was necessary to prevent casualties among both the victims and security personnel, noting that specialised equipment would be deployed before any offensive operation is launched.
Bosso said preparations were underway to deploy bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers to neutralise the threat and safely extract the captives.
“We are moving in there with high-velocity vehicles, that is, bulldozers. We’re moving in with bulldozers and APCs to see how we’re going to rescue these victims unhurt,” he stated.
The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, also confirmed that operatives were tightening the noose around the kidnappers.
He noted that officers involved in the mission had been adequately briefed and were awaiting the final go-ahead to advance.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, had earlier reinforced the operation by deploying the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, alongside two commissioners of police to Imo State.
Nadada, who arrived in the state on Friday, was said to have reviewed the personnel, operational strategy and assets deployed for the rescue effort.
The victims, mostly prospective corps members, were travelling in two buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their respective orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the attack occurred on Thursday.
Gunmen reportedly ambushed the vehicles along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha axis of Imo State, forcing the buses to a halt before whisking away several passengers into the surrounding forest.
Since the incident, conflicting reports have emerged over the exact number of victims abducted and those rescued, creating confusion among families and complicating official accounts of the attack.
While the Imo State Police Command initially announced that 10 victims had been rescued during the intervention, parents of the affected corps members have strongly disputed the claim.
The distraught families insist that the individuals reported as rescued were not freed by security forces but rather escaped on their own during the chaos.
Speaking on behalf of the families during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija residence on Saturday, two parents, Alhaja Alimot Akande and Oyebola Akande, said 30 passengers were aboard the buses at the time of the rescue
According to them, 10 passengers managed to flee into the bush, while 20 others were taken away by the kidnappers.
Alhaja Akande recounted the frantic efforts by parents to obtain accurate information following the attack, alleging that the transport company involved failed to cooperate.
“I rushed to the bus terminal at Samonda, Ibadan, but the management of the transport company did not cooperate with us,” she said.
“We demanded the manifest to ascertain the identities of the passengers on board the two buses but they declined.
“After persistent pressure being mounted by the grieving parents, they brought out a paper, but we discovered the names of some of the affected corps members were not on their list.”
She added that further inquiries revealed that many of the passengers had not registered their names before departure, complicating efforts to determine the exact number of victims.
“We have asked them to produce the drivers of the two vehicles who managed to escape the attacks, but they declined as well,” she said.
The parents’ account contrasts sharply with earlier statements by security agencies. The police had said the two buses were recovered after a swift response and that the rescued victims were safe and receiving care.
Similarly, the Defence Headquarters later stated that 20 passengers were abducted, while 10 people, including eight prospective corps members, were rescued through joint efforts by troops and other security agencies.
The discrepancies have raised concerns about transparency and coordination among agencies involved in the rescue operation.
As the confusion persists, anxiety has deepened among families following a ransom demand issued by the kidnappers.
The abductors reportedly demanded N50m for each of the 20 victims, bringing the total ransom to N1bn, and issued a 24-hour ultimatum for payment.
The deadline is expected to expire on Sunday, intensifying fears for the safety of the captives.
According to the parents, the kidnappers have been contacting families using the mobile phones of the abducted graduates, threatening to harm them if the ransom is not paid.
“They have been calling us since yesterday with a demand for N50m ransom each,” Akande said.
“They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed their request.
“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children.”
The families have appealed to the Olubadan, the Oyo State Government and relevant security agencies to intervene urgently to secure the release of their children before the deadline elapses.
One of the parents said she last spoke with her daughter on Wednesday night before the journey resumed, advising her to remain inside the bus for safety due to prevailing insecurity.
However, the journey was cut short the following day when the attackers struck.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing security challenges on major highways across the country, particularly in the South-East, where cases of kidnapping for ransom have become increasingly frequent.
Observers say the use of explosives by criminal groups, represents a dangerous escalation that could further complicate rescue operations and pose greater risks to both victims and security personnel.
As security agencies finalise plans to storm the suspected camp, families of the abducted corps members remain in anguish, hoping for a swift and safe rescue of their loved ones.
