Imo NYSC Abduction: CUPP Faults Security Strategy, INC Seeks Vigilantes’ Role In Rescue

Imo NYSC Abduction: CUPP Faults Security Strategy, INC Seeks Vigilantes’ Role In Rescue

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has criticised Nigeria’s security strategy following the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State, while the Igbo National Council (INC) has called for the involvement of credible community vigilantes in the ongoing rescue operation.

The prospective corps members were abducted along the Owerri–Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

CUPP described the incident as a serious failure of the country’s security architecture and demanded the immediate and safe rescue of those still in captivity.

The coalition said the attack raised questions about intelligence gathering, highway surveillance, security patrols and rapid response, particularly because the victims were travelling along a major highway.

CUPP spokesperson Agu Diamond Bryan said the victims were graduates travelling to fulfil a national obligation and should not have been exposed to such danger.

The coalition called on the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs to take direct operational responsibility for the rescue operation, while urging the Police, Army, Air Force, Department of State Services and Defence Intelligence Agency to deploy their intelligence and operational capabilities.

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It also demanded regular and credible updates for the victims’ families, an investigation into how the abduction occurred, and the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

The development comes as security agencies continue efforts to locate the abducted prospective corps members.

Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso said security operatives had used drone surveillance to identify the location of the suspected kidnappers’ camp in the forest.

However, the police have not moved directly into the camp because intelligence indicates that the area has been mined with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Bosso said security agencies were preparing to use heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to support the operation and minimise the risk to both the security personnel and the victims.

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, was deployed to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation after Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu ordered additional operational assets and tactical teams into the state.

The police have maintained that their priority is to secure the victims’ safe release.

However, there have been conflicting accounts concerning the number of people abducted and the status of some of those reportedly rescued.

CUPP said 10 victims had reportedly been rescued while 20 prospective corps members remained in captivity. Earlier police accounts had also referred to the rescue of 10 people, while reports from families and other sources have disputed aspects of the account.

The conflicting figures have made it difficult to establish publicly the exact number of people still being held.

Adding its voice to calls for an immediate rescue, the Igbo National Council (INC) urged security agencies to incorporate properly vetted community vigilantes with detailed knowledge of the surrounding forests, roads, settlements and difficult terrain.

INC President Chilos Godsent said conventional security forces could benefit from local intelligence provided by community-based security personnel, particularly in areas where unfamiliar terrain could slow down rescue operations.

The group stressed that any involvement of vigilantes should be properly coordinated under the command of conventional security agencies to ensure discipline, accountability and operational safety.

INC also called for the involvement of traditional rulers, community leaders and other credible local structures in gathering information that could assist the rescue effort.

The group urged residents with useful information about the kidnappers or their movements to pass it promptly to the security authorities.

The abduction has also generated concern among families of the affected graduates, some of whom have reportedly received ransom demands from the kidnappers.

One reported demand initially put the ransom at N50 million per victim, although subsequent reports indicated that the kidnappers had reduced the demand.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed the ransom figures or indicated whether any payment has been made.

The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of prospective NYSC members travelling to orientation camps, particularly those making long-distance journeys through areas considered vulnerable to kidnapping.

For now, security agencies are continuing their search operation, with the location of the suspected camp reportedly known but access complicated by the reported presence of explosives.

The immediate priority remains the safe rescue of all those still in captivity, while authorities face growing pressure to explain how the abduction occurred and strengthen security along the Owerri–Onitsha corridor.

Imo NYSC Abduction: CUPP Faults Security Strategy, INC Seeks Vigilantes’ Role In Rescue