Security operatives in Imo State have located the camp where suspected kidnappers are holding abducted NYSC members and other victims, but a field of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) surrounding the camp has stalled the rescue mission. The Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, confirmed that drones were used to track the abductors deep into the bush and that coordinates showing the exact position of the camp had been obtained.
Police Commissioner Confirms Drone Tracking and IED Obstacle
Speaking to journalists about the ongoing operation, as reported by Vanguard, Bosso detailed the challenges faced by security forces. "Yesterday we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location. But at that point in time, we couldn't move in to where the coordinates showed us where they are," Bosso said. He described the IEDs as the primary obstacle preventing security forces from advancing to free the captives. "Our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs," the Commissioner added.
Heavy Equipment to Be Deployed for Rescue
To overcome the challenge, Bosso said security forces were preparing to move in with specialised machinery. "We are moving in there with high-velocity vehicles. We are moving with bulldozers and APCs to see how we are going to rescue these victims," he said. The victims were among passengers taken captive after gunmen attacked two buses on the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on October 1. The buses were travelling through the Umunoha axis in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, reportedly carrying prospective corps members heading to orientation camps in the South East and South South from Ibadan.
Joint Operation Underway
The Defence Headquarters had earlier confirmed that 20 passengers were abducted from the two buses, including several prospective corps members. Ten passengers, among them eight identified prospective corps members, were rescued at the scene shortly after the attack. A joint search and rescue operation involving troops of Operation Udoka, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, with air support from the Nigerian Air Force, remains active as efforts to safely reach the remaining victims continue.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that a mother appealed for help after her twin daughter, Kehinde, sent a distress message to the family WhatsApp group before her phone went unreachable. Gunmen attacked two commercial buses on the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Mbaitoli LGA, Imo State, on Thursday, October 1. Several corps members travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South were among those reportedly abducted.
