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Nigerian police rescue 20 graduates abducted while travelling for national service
Overview
A group of 20 university graduates participating in Nigeria's National Youth Service Corps have been rescued by police and security agencies after being kidnapped on 1 October in south-east Nigeria. The victims were travelling in two buses from Ibadan to orientation camps when gunmen attacked them. They were eventually rescued following intelligence-led searches in Imo State and have been taken for medical evaluation.
Key points
- Twenty young graduates abducted on 1 October in south-east Nigeria have been rescued by police and security agencies.
- The victims were travelling in two buses to mandatory National Youth Service Corps orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when they were ambushed by gunmen.
- Police stated the group was rescued at Amakohia Ubi in Imo State following a sustained search-and-rescue operation and are currently undergoing medical evaluation.
- Before the rescue, a parent reported that kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 50m naira.
- Kidnapping for ransom remains a significant security issue in Nigeria, though authorities have not disclosed the identity of the attackers or whether any arrests or ransom payments were made.