Drones have located the forest camp where 19 prospective NYSC members abducted in Imo State are believed to be held, but police operatives have delayed moving in over fears of improvised explosive devices.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed this while providing an update on the ongoing search-and-rescue operation.
Bosso said security operatives tracked the abductors into the bush before drones were deployed to establish the location of their camp.
He said the security forces could not immediately enter the area because intelligence indicated that the camp had been mined with IEDs.
The commissioner said the security agencies were preparing to move into the area with specialised equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers.
According to him, the equipment would be used to clear a safe route for the rescue team and reduce the danger to both operatives and victims.
The prospective corps members were abducted on Thursday along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State.
They were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when gunmen attacked two buses conveying them.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, said the attackers took 19 passengers into the bush after the drivers escaped and alerted security personnel.
The abductors have reportedly demanded N50m for each victim, bringing the reported ransom demand to N950m.
The development has heightened anxiety among the victims’ families as security agencies race to secure their release.
Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue mission.
Nadada arrived with two Commissioners of Police and reviewed the deployment of personnel, operational strategies and available security assets.
The police said additional tactical teams and operational resources had been deployed to strengthen intelligence-led tracking and the search for the abducted corps members.