Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who were rescued after spending seven days in captivity in Imo State, have reunited with their families in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The victims were handed over to their parents and relatives at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ibadan at about 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026, following security debriefing.
According to reports, the parents waited for approximately three hours at the DSS facility before being reunited with their children.
Speaking briefly during the reunion, one of the rescued corps members, Akande Morenikeji, described the experience as physically and mentally exhausting.
“Ah, it was stressful, too,” she said, recounting the difficulties they experienced during their seven days in captivity.
The reunion brought relief to families who had spent a week anxiously seeking the safe return of their children following the abduction.
One of the parents, Faith Felicia Abiala, said the incident had exposed the dangers faced by young graduates travelling long distances by road to fulfil their national service obligations.
She expressed concern about the safety of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in other states.
The victims were among 30 prospective corps members travelling in two buses from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked them along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway near Umunoha in Imo State on Thursday, October 1.
While 20 were abducted, the remaining 10 reportedly escaped during the attack.
Security agencies subsequently launched search-and-rescue operations to locate the victims and secure their release.
The Nigeria Police Force announced on Wednesday, October 7, that the 20 abducted graduates had been rescued at Amakohia Ubi in Imo State following a coordinated operation involving police personnel, the military and the DSS.
After their rescue, the victims were taken for medical assessment and necessary care before arrangements were made for their return to Oyo State.
The circumstances surrounding their release also raised questions about ransom payments. The mother of one rescued victim told TheCable that her family paid ₦6 million to secure her son's freedom, although the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said he was not aware that ransom had been paid.
The rescue and subsequent family reunion have brought relief to the affected households, while concerns remain over the safety of travellers and the risks faced by young Nigerians travelling to fulfil national service obligations.
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