Security operatives have located the suspected hideout where prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers abducted in Imo State are believed to be held, but an alleged threat from improvised explosive devices has delayed an immediate rescue operation.
The development followed the abduction of passengers travelling in two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area on Thursday, October 1.
The buses were carrying prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen reportedly attacked them.
The Imo State Police Command initially announced that 10 victims had been rescued after security agencies responded to the attack, while saying the exact number of people abducted was still being verified.
Police locate suspected camp
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said on Saturday that security operatives had tracked the suspected kidnappers into the bush and used drones to pinpoint their location.
According to Bosso, the surveillance operation provided security agencies with the coordinates of the suspected camp, but officers could not immediately advance into the area because intelligence indicated that the location had been mined with improvised explosive devices.
“Yesterday we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location,” Bosso said.
He explained that although the drone identified the location, security personnel had to reconsider a direct approach because of the reported explosives.
“Our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,” the commissioner said.
Bosso said security agencies were preparing to use heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, as part of efforts to reach the victims while reducing the danger to the rescue teams.
The police have also said tactical personnel and other security agencies are continuing intelligence-led operations aimed at locating and securing the remaining victims.
Why locating the hideout does not mean an immediate rescue
The identification of a kidnappers’ location can significantly improve a rescue operation, but it does not necessarily make an immediate assault possible.
In this case, the reported presence of IEDs introduces an additional danger for security personnel and the hostages themselves. Moving quickly into a suspected mined area without first assessing and neutralising the explosive threat could put rescuers and victims at risk.
This means security agencies must balance the urgency of rescuing the hostages with the need to determine how to safely approach the camp, secure possible routes and prevent the kidnappers from using the explosives against the victims or pursuing security personnel.
The police have therefore indicated that they are preparing specialised equipment and a more cautious approach rather than launching an immediate assault on the location.
Conflicting figures over those still in captivity
There have also been differing accounts of the number of people still being held.
The Defence Headquarters previously said 20 passengers were abducted and that 10 people, including eight prospective corps members, were rescued following the intervention of security agencies.
However, reports quoting parents of some of the victims have disputed the description of the 10 people as having been formally rescued, saying some escaped from the kidnappers themselves. Other reports have put the number of prospective corps members still in captivity at about 19.
The conflicting accounts mean the precise number of people still being held should be treated with caution until authorities provide a definitive update.
Security agencies intensify operation
The Inspector-General of Police has deployed senior officers and additional operational resources to Imo State to strengthen the search-and-rescue effort.
Security agencies are now expected to combine intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance and ground operations as they work towards reaching the suspected camp.
For the families of the abducted graduates, the discovery of the hideout provides an important development, but the reported IED threat means the most difficult stage of the operation may still lie ahead.
The immediate objective for the security agencies remains clear: find a way into the suspected camp, neutralise the explosive threat and bring the victims out safely without giving the kidnappers an opportunity to harm them or escape.
