Nigerian police have located a camp where 19 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recruits are being held by gunmen, but a rescue operation is being prevented by the presence of explosives, according to police Commissioner Audu Bosso. Drones helped identify the camp in the southeastern Imo state, where the recruits were abducted last week. The exact location has not been disclosed, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
Omotosho Adewale, whose child is among the abducted, told the BBC that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of 50 million naira (approximately $37,680). Adewale expressed distress, stating he has not eaten in three days due to worry for his child. He appealed to the government for assistance.
The 19 individuals were traveling from Ibadan in the southwest to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when their buses were attacked near Umunoha in Imo state. The NYSC program is a mandatory one-year service for most Nigerian university and polytechnic graduates, involving postings to various parts of the country for work, community service, and to promote national unity.
Commissioner Bosso stated that intelligence indicates the camp is mined with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Police are deploying bulldozers and armored vehicles in preparation for a rescue attempt. Kidnapping for ransom is a significant security challenge in Nigeria, perpetrated by criminal gangs and armed groups.
The incident in Imo state has raised widespread concern, as mass kidnappings are less frequent in southern Nigeria compared to some northern regions. While paying ransoms is illegal, families often face pressure to do so to secure the release of loved ones. The abduction underscores the dangers faced by young people traveling for national service and has reignited calls for reforms.
The NYSC has previously stated it would not deploy members to areas deemed high-risk due to violence or abduction threats. Most parts of southeastern Nigeria have not typically been classified as high-risk zones. In the past, some abductions in the southeast have been linked to separatist groups, though authorities have not connected the current incident to any specific group.