Abducted NYSC members freed after one week

About 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members kidnapped while travelling from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states have been released.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the prospective NYSC members were released during an operation conducted by some military personnel and police operatives in Imo State, Nigeria’s South-east.

Apart from the NYSC members, a yet-to-identified civilian was also released.

Security sources told this newspaper on Wednesday evening that the rescued victims were taken to the facility of the State Security Service (SSS) in Owerri, Imo State.

“They were taken to the DSS (SSS) Hospital in Owerri for treatment,” the source, a police operative, confirmed.

It is unclear, for now, if ransom was paid for the release of the kidnapped victims.

The release of the victims occurred exactly one week after they were kidnapped.

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Kidnap

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that gunmen abducted the prospective NYSC members at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday along the Owerri-Onitsha Road by Umunoha in Imo State.

They were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The police later said 10 victims were rescued at the scene following the intervention of the police and other security agencies.