Nigerian Police Locate 19 Kidnapped Youth Corps Members Behind IED Barrier

Nigerian police have located a camp in Imo State where 19 National Youth Service Corps recruits are being held captive following their abduction last week. Gunmen attacked the recruits' buses near Umunoha in Imo State on Thursday as the group traveled from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. Police have not publicly identified the group responsible for the abduction. The exact coordinates of the camp have not been disclosed.

Police Commissioner Audu Bosso told journalists that drone surveillance pinpointed the location of the camp. However, intelligence gathered indicates the site is surrounded by improvised explosive devices that are preventing a direct rescue operation. Bulldozers and armoured vehicles are being deployed in preparation for an eventual rescue attempt. The NYSC is a compulsory one-year national service programme for most Nigerian university and polytechnic graduates who are posted across the country for work and community service.

Omotosho Adewale, whose child is among those being held, told BBC News that kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 50 million naira — approximately $37,680 — which the family cannot pay. "There's no peace of mind. I've not eaten in three days," Adewale said. He has appealed directly to the government for assistance in securing the release of those held. Police Commissioner Bosso stated: "The drone actually showed us exactly their location. But our predicament is that with the intel we have... the camp is mined with IEDs."

Mass kidnappings are less common in southern Nigeria than in parts of the north where armed groups have conducted large-scale abductions for years. Kidnapping for ransom nonetheless remains a serious and growing security problem across the country involving both criminal gangs and armed factions. The abduction of young Nigerians preparing for mandatory national service has drawn widespread concern from families and citizens. Authorities have not announced a timeline for the rescue operation.