Twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps members from Oyo State who were abducted while travelling to their orientation camp in Imo State have regained their freedom after seven days in captivity.

The victims were rescued on Wednesday by a joint team of security agencies during a coordinated operation in Amakohia-Ubi Village, Imo State. They were subsequently taken to a Department of State Services facility in Owerri for medical examination and necessary treatment.

The graduates were travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camp in Abia State when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State.

The abduction triggered a search operation involving the police, military, DSS and other security agencies. Authorities had earlier located the suspected kidnappers’ hideout through drone surveillance but were unable to immediately enter the area after intelligence indicated that improvised explosive devices had been planted around the camp.

Welcoming the release, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde expressed relief and congratulated the Oyo and Imo state governments as well as the Federal Government over the safe recovery of the victims.

The governor, through the state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, however, said the development highlighted the continuing security challenges across the country.

He urged the Federal Government, which has the primary responsibility and capacity for national security, to be more proactive in tackling kidnapping and banditry.

The Oyo State Government said it remained concerned that kidnapping and banditry continued to affect communities despite repeated assurances from the Federal Government over efforts to improve security.

The rescued prospective corps members are currently receiving medical attention in Owerri. The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, also visited them at the medical facility alongside senior security officials.

Details of the operation that led to their release, including whether any ransom was paid or suspects were arrested, have not been publicly disclosed.

The release brings relief to the families of the young graduates, who had endured days of uncertainty following the attack while security agencies intensified efforts to locate and rescue them.