The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Federal Government to deploy all available intelligence and security resources to rescue 19 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted in Imo State. The abduction occurred on Thursday when gunmen attacked two buses conveying the graduates from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their respective NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
According to the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, security agencies have located the forest hideout where the victims are being held, but have yet to advance into the area due to intelligence reports indicating that it is allegedly rigged with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). HURIWA described the discovery of the kidnappers' hideout as a critical development that should prompt an urgent, coordinated rescue operation.
HURIWA National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, signed a statement urging the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, and Nigerian Air Force to establish a unified rescue command and deploy personnel trained in hostage rescue, explosive ordnance disposal, intelligence gathering, and jungle operations. The group also called for sustained aerial surveillance and ground intelligence to prevent the kidnappers from relocating the victims or harming them.
The parents of the abducted graduates, numbering about 20, visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija residence in Ibadan on Saturday, appealing to the monarch to use his influence and personal contacts to facilitate their children's release. The parents expressed concern over the condition of their children, who had reportedly spent about two days in captivity at the time of the visit.
Oba Ladoja, who received the delegation alongside the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola Adeyeri III, assured the parents that the government was making efforts to address the situation. HURIWA further urged the authorities to establish a dedicated communication channel to provide the families with regular and credible updates on the rescue operation.
HURIWA also called for the arrest and prosecution of the kidnappers and their collaborators after the victims have been safely recovered. The association urged the government to provide the rescued graduates with medical, psychological, and welfare support to help them recover from the trauma of captivity.
The group said the incident should trigger a broader review of security arrangements for the NYSC scheme, citing recurring threats faced by prospective corps members while traveling to orientation camps. HURIWA renewed its call for a comprehensive review of the scheme, including its proposal for a one-year suspension to allow the Federal Government to develop a sustainable security framework.
Key points
- HURIWA demands an urgent, coordinated rescue operation for the kidnapped NYSC members.
- The kidnappers' hideout has been located, but a rescue operation has been delayed due to the presence of IEDs.
- The parents of the abducted graduates have appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to intervene in securing their release.
