Police have located a clandestine camp holding 19 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recruits that were abducted last week in Imo state, but rescuing the hostages is complicated by the presence of improvised explosive devices, Nigerian police said.
Drones were used to trace the site after the kidnappers seized the students’ bus en route from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, the police Commissioner confirmed. According to the commissioner, the camp is heavily mined. Because of this, authorities have deployed bulldozers and armoured vehicles in preparation for a careful extraction.
Parents of the abducted youths, most notably Omotosho Adewale, who has spoken openly to the media, found themselves being asked to pay a ransom of 50 million naira—an amount they say is beyond their means. Adewale noted that he has not eaten in three days because he is still waiting for a resolution.
NYSC is an obligatory year‑long programme that places recent graduates in various parts of the country in order to promote national unity and community service. The kidnappings, which are less common in the southeast, have heightened concerns about the safety of participants and have prompted calls for stronger protective measures.
While police have not yet identified the perpetrators or confirmed any affiliation with known criminal or armed groups, the incident underscores Nigeria’s broader security challenges and the urgent need to safeguard young citizens during the compulsory service period.
