The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the rescue of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another person abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.

The victims regained their freedom on Wednesday, October 7, seven days after they were kidnapped while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, confirmed the development in a statement, saying the victims were rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State following sustained search-and-rescue operations involving the police and other security agencies.

Iniedu said the rescued victims had been taken for medical examinations and necessary medical attention.

However, the police said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the masterminds of the abduction and bring those responsible to justice.

The victims were reportedly rescued by a joint security team comprising personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services and other security agencies.

The operation followed days of intensified efforts to locate the abductors' hideout and secure the victims' release.

Before the rescue, the Imo State Police Command had disclosed that operatives located the kidnappers' camp through drone surveillance but encountered difficulties advancing into the area after intelligence indicated that it had been planted with improvised explosive devices.

Security agencies subsequently deployed additional equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to facilitate the operation.

The abduction occurred on October 1 when gunmen attacked two buses conveying prospective corps members along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.

The victims were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when they were seized and taken into the bush.

The incident sparked anxiety among the victims' families after reports emerged that the abductors demanded huge sums as ransom.

The kidnappers reportedly initially demanded N50 million per victim before reducing the amount in subsequent negotiations.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, also confirmed the victims' release after receiving the news from Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.

The governor commended the security agencies for their coordinated response, explaining that the government had adopted a discreet approach to avoid compromising the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, the police have reiterated their commitment to tracking down the abductors, assuring the public that coordinated operations would continue until those responsible were brought to justice.