The Imo State Police Command has located the suspected camp where the kidnappers holding abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members are believed to be operating, but security forces have yet to storm the hideout due to the discovery of suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, CP Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed the development while giving an update on efforts to rescue the victims.
According to the police chief, security operatives deployed drones and other intelligence-gathering resources to trace the abductors after the attack on vehicles conveying prospective corps members travelling to their orientation camps.
The victims were abducted along the Owerri–Onitsha axis in Imo State, after suspected kidnappers attacked two buses conveying the prospective corps members.
Bosso said security agencies have been able to identify the location of the kidnappers’ hideout, but a direct assault on the camp could put the lives of both the hostages and security personnel at risk because of the reported IEDs.
He said security forces are therefore preparing specialised equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers (APCs), to safely gain access to the area and rescue the victims.
The police had earlier announced the rescue of 10 prospective corps members following the attack, while efforts continued to locate and safely recover those still in captivity.
The latest development has raised hopes that the remaining victims could soon regain their freedom, as security agencies intensify operations around the suspected kidnappers’ camp.
Authorities have also urged members of the public to remain calm and provide security agencies with useful information that could assist the ongoing rescue operation.
The police have maintained that the primary objective of the operation is to secure the safe release of the abducted prospective corps members without exposing them to additional danger.