NYSC kidnap: We ran drones yesterday and the drone actually showed us exactly their location- Bosso

Security agencies have intensified efforts to rescue prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State after surveillance reportedly helped authorities identify the location where the victims are being held.

According to The Punch in a report published on Sunday, October 4, 2026, the graduates were travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when they were attacked along the Owerri-Onitsha Road around Umunoha, Imo State.

The development has heightened anxiety among the victims’ families, who have been awaiting information about their loved ones.

Security personnel reportedly traced the suspected kidnappers to a forested location. However, authorities are exercising caution because of concerns that improvised explosive devices could have been planted around the suspected hideout.

Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said security operatives had entered the bush as part of efforts to locate the victims, while drones were deployed to provide aerial surveillance.

“We ran drones yesterday. And the drone actually showed us exactly their location,” Bosso said.

The information obtained through the surveillance is expected to guide the security agencies as they plan an approach to the suspected camp. Authorities are reportedly considering specialised equipment, including bulldozers and armoured vehicles, to help them navigate the area while limiting risks to the hostages and security personnel.

More officers have also reportedly been deployed to the state, with senior police personnel involved in coordinating the operation. The reported presence of possible explosives has made careful planning a priority.

There are also differing accounts concerning the number of victims who escaped. Security agencies initially reported that 10 passengers had been rescued. However, relatives of the abducted graduates said those individuals escaped from the kidnappers and independently made their way out of the forest.

According to the families, 30 people were travelling together, with 10 escaping while 20 remained in captivity. The families have continued to appeal for urgent intervention to secure the release of those still being held.

The kidnappers have also reportedly demanded ransom from the victims’ families and issued a deadline for payment.

As the search operation continues, the identification of the suspected hideout is seen as a significant development, although security concerns surrounding possible explosives remain a major challenge.

Hassan03 [email protected]