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By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor in Chief, People’s Security Monitor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rescue efforts for prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State have been temporarily slowed after intelligence reports revealed that the kidnappers’ suspected hideout was heavily fortified with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, disclosed that security operatives had successfully identified the location where the victims were believed to be held but could not immediately launch an assault because of the risk posed by explosive devices planted around the camp. He explained that operatives tracked the kidnappers deep into the forest and deployed surveillance drones that accurately located the hideout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the police commissioner, the aerial reconnaissance confirmed the position of the camp, but intelligence gathered from the operation indicated that the area had been rigged with IEDs, making an immediate ground assault dangerous for both security personnel and the captives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bosso said security agencies were adjusting their strategy to ensure the safe rescue of the victims. He revealed that specialised equipment, including bulldozers and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), would be deployed to clear access routes and neutralise threats before troops advance on the location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The police commissioner expressed optimism that the victims would be rescued unharmed, stressing that every operational decision was being guided by the need to protect their lives while bringing the kidnappers to justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also speaking on the operation, the Imo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, said security forces were steadily tightening the noose around the criminal gang. He noted that personnel involved in the rescue mission had been fully briefed and were working in coordination with other security agencies to ensure a successful outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To reinforce the operation, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had earlier ordered the deployment of the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, alongside senior police officers and additional operational assets to Imo State. The DIG reportedly arrived in the state on Friday and conducted an assessment of personnel, logistics and rescue strategies already in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The victims, believed to be prospective corps members travelling to National Youth Service Corps orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, were abducted when gunmen attacked two commercial buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Imo State on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The incident has triggered nationwide concern among families and stakeholders, with conflicting reports emerging regarding the exact number of passengers kidnapped and those who may have escaped or been rescued. Security agencies, however, insist that intensive search-and-rescue operations remain ongoing and that efforts are being intensified to secure the safe release of all those still in captivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor in Chief, People’s Security Monitor Rescue efforts for prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State have been temporarily slowed after intelligence reports revealed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pages"],"yoast_head":"\n