Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have been rescued, seven days after they were taken captive.
Another report said one civilian was also rescued alongside the 20 prospective corps members.
The victims were rescued on Wednesday in a joint operation involving the military, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.
A security source told TheCable that the rescued corps members were receiving medical attention at a DSS facility in Imo State.
The development brings an end to a week-long search for the victims, who were abducted on 1 October 2026, while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
The gunmen had attacked two buses conveying the prospective corps members and other passengers at about 6:30 a.m. near Umunoha in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.
The Imo State Police Command had earlier said 10 victims were rescued at the scene after security operatives responded to the attack and recovered the two buses.
“The rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to. The exact number of persons abducted is being verified and will be made public once confirmed,” the Command said.
The police subsequently intensified the search for those still in captivity, deploying tactical teams and intelligence-led tracking operations in collaboration with other security agencies.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation. Two commissioners of police were deployed alongside him.
The operation became more complex after security operatives located the suspected kidnappers’ hideout in a forest but were reportedly unable to immediately move in because intelligence indicated that the area had been planted with improvised explosive devices.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, had said drone surveillance helped operatives locate the camp.
The successful rescue followed sustained search-and-rescue operations by the security agencies. The victims have since been taken for medical examination and treatment.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the rescued corps members at the DSS facility in Owerri on Wednesday. He was accompanied by the Imo Commissioner of Police, the DSS director and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade.
The police had earlier assured the public that the operation would continue until all the victims were safely recovered and the perpetrators brought to justice.
“The Commissioner of Police, alongside other Service Commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to give operational direction. He assured the public that the Command will sustain the operation until all victims are safely recovered and the suspects are brought to justice,” the statement read in part.
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