20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another passenger abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have regained their freedom.

The victims were rescued on Wednesday from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state following an operation involving the police, military, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies.

They were taken to the DSS Hospital in Owerri, where they are receiving medical attention.

The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited the rescued victims at the hospital on Wednesday. He was accompanied by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Director of the DSS and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Imo State.

The victims were abducted on October 1 when gunmen attacked two buses near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

They were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The police had earlier rescued 10 of the victims and recovered the two buses, while security agencies continued searching for those taken into the bush.

The search operation was later expanded with the deployment of additional personnel and equipment. The police also located the suspected hideout of the abductors through drone surveillance but reportedly delayed an assault after intelligence indicated that improvised explosive devices had been planted around the area.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu had deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations Shehu Nadada and other tactical resources to oversee the operation.

It is not yet clear whether any arrests were made or if ransom was paid for the release of the victims.

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma commended the security agencies and the Oyo and Imo state governments for their roles in securing the release of the victims.

Governor Uzodimma said the government had limited information about the operation because it involved the safety of lives.

He also thanked the parents of the victims for their patience and urged Nigerians to support efforts to address insecurity in the country.