The Oyo State Government has called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to tackle kidnapping and banditry following the release of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State.
The prospective corps members, who were travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps, were kidnapped along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State on October 1. They were eventually freed seven days later following coordinated security operations.
Reacting to their release, Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, said the development had brought relief to the affected families and the state government.
Oyelade congratulated the Oyo and Imo State governments as well as the Federal Government and security agencies involved in securing the victims’ freedom.
However, he said the incident should serve as a reminder that more decisive action was needed to prevent similar attacks.
According to the commissioner, the Federal Government, which has the constitutional authority and resources to tackle the country’s security challenges, must become more proactive in protecting citizens.
He expressed concern that kidnapping and banditry remained widespread despite repeated assurances from the Presidency about efforts to improve national security.
Oyelade also raised concerns over Nigerians who remain in captivity in forests across the country, arguing that the continued abductions showed the need for stronger and more coordinated security measures.
The 20 prospective corps members were rescued on October 7 at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State during sustained search-and-rescue operations involving the police and other security agencies. They were subsequently taken for medical assessment and necessary care.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the rescued victims at a DSS facility in Owerri, where they were receiving medical attention.
The police said investigations were continuing, with security agencies working to apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
The incident has renewed calls for improved security arrangements for young Nigerians travelling to NYSC orientation camps, particularly as the affected graduates were abducted while travelling to begin their mandatory national service.
