Military reports rescue of 10 prospective corps members in Imo

A military operational report says troops rescued 10 prospective National Youth Service Corps members after an abduction on the Onitsha-Owerri Road in Imo State on Thursday.

The report, shared with the News Agency of Nigeria and published by Premium Times, said troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade under Operation UDO KA responded to the incident at about 6:30 a.m. It said the victims were taken from two commercial buses.

Troops were working with the Navy, Air Force, police and State Security Service to track the kidnappers and rescue the remaining victims, the operational report said. It did not specify how many people remained in captivity.

NaijaTrend earlier reported the police account of the abduction of 20 corps members on the road here. Police said the passengers were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

The accounts differ on the precise location. The operational report placed the incident at Umonuwa village in Mbaise Local Government Area; the earlier police account identified Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.

In a statement reported by Vanguard on Friday, SDP presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo also said 10 victims had been rescued at the scene while others remained captive. He called on the Inspector-General of Police, military commanders and the Imo police commissioner to deploy rapid-response resources to secure their release.

Sources: Premium Times, Vanguard