Police Locate Hideout of Abducted NYSC Members, IED Threat Delays Rescue in Imo
Imo State, Nigeria — October 4, 2026
The Imo State Police Command says it has located the suspected hideout where abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers are being held, but concerns over improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have delayed an immediate rescue operation.
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed the development while providing an update on the ongoing search-and-rescue operation. According to the police, security operatives tracked the suspected kidnappers into a forested area and deployed drones to identify the location of the camp. The surveillance operation reportedly provided the coordinates of the suspected hideout.
However, Bosso said security personnel could not immediately enter the area because intelligence indicated that the camp had been surrounded or planted with IEDs. The police commissioner said security agencies were taking precautions to avoid putting the lives of both the hostages and rescuers at risk. He added that heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, was being prepared to support the operation.
The development follows the abduction of passengers travelling along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on October 1. Prospective NYSC members were among those reportedly taken during the attack.
Police authorities have since announced that 10 victims had been rescued, while efforts continue to locate and safely recover those still being held.
The latest disclosure has heightened attention on the rescue operation, with families of the abducted passengers awaiting the safe return of their relatives.
Security agencies are expected to continue efforts to clear the suspected explosive threat and gain safe access to the location.
Editor’s Note: The accompanying image is an illustrative photograph created for this article and is not a photograph of the actual rescue operation or the reported hideout.