The Oyo State Government has said it is working with the Imo State Government and security agencies to secure the safe release of prospective National Youth Service Corps members from the state abducted in Imo State.
Oyo Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the state government was maintaining direct contact with the Imo State Government while engaging security agencies in both states.
The prospective corps members were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State.
Current reports put the number of prospective corps members still in captivity at 19, although police initially said 10 people had been rescued and that the identities of those rescued were still being established.
The Imo State Police Command and military authorities have continued search-and-rescue operations, with security agencies saying they have traced the abductors to a location in the bush.
However, Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, said operatives were exercising caution because intelligence indicated that explosives had been planted around the suspected hideout.
Oyelade said Oyo State was providing the Imo authorities with experience and operational templates gathered during the state’s previous response to the Oriire abduction.
He said the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Oriire incident, headed by retired Justice Professor Mojeed Owoade, was also being used in discussions between the two states.
The commission submitted its report to Governor Seyi Makinde on September 29 after hearing from 72 witnesses. Its recommendations included improved intelligence gathering and stronger cooperation among security agencies and government institutions.
The Oriire attack occurred on May 15, when 39 pupils and seven teachers were abducted from schools in the area. The victims spent 56 days in captivity before their release on July 10, while two teachers were killed during the incident.
Oyelade said governments did not ordinarily disclose every measure being taken during sensitive security operations, particularly where public disclosure could compromise efforts to rescue victims.
He said the priority remained the safe return of the abducted prospective corps members, adding that Oyo State would continue to work with Imo State, security agencies and other stakeholders until the victims regain their freedom.
The commissioner also said attention should be directed at the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who have primary responsibility for national security.
He particularly stressed the importance of actions taken within the first 72 hours following security incidents.
Oyelade recalled that Makinde had recently appealed to President Bola Tinubu to expedite action on the release of more than 40 Borno schoolchildren who were abducted on May 15, the same day pupils and teachers were kidnapped in Oriire.
“We are worried about the kidnapped corps members,” Oyelade quoted Makinde as saying.
The Oyo Government had earlier condemned the Imo abduction and assured affected families that all necessary resources were being deployed towards securing the victims’ release.
As the rescue operation continues, the state government said it would maintain communication with the relevant authorities while avoiding disclosures that could undermine the ongoing security operation.
