A survivor of the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State has recounted the horrifying conditions they endured in captivity, including physical assaults and being forced to survive on dry garri and dirty water.
The victims were abducted on October 1, 2026, while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
According to the survivor, the gunmen beat some of the captives with their fists and guns and restricted their communication with family members, punishing anyone whose phone conversations angered them.
The survivor disclosed that the abductees were taken deep into a forest, where they had little choice but to consume dry garri and muddy water to stay alive.
The victim described the water as extremely dirty, adding that the captives endured the conditions because they had no alternative.
The abduction occurred around 6:30 a.m. along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area, where gunmen attacked two buses conveying the travellers.
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The kidnappers reportedly demanded ₦50 million for each captive before later reducing the ransom demand.
Security agencies subsequently launched a search-and-rescue operation, using drone surveillance to locate the kidnappers’ hideout. However, suspected improvised explosive devices around the camp reportedly posed challenges to the operation.
The 20 prospective corps members were rescued on October 7, seven days after their abduction, during a joint operation involving security agencies. They were subsequently taken for medical examinations and treatment.
The survivor credited the Department of State Services (DSS) with the rescue, expressing shock over the traumatic experience.
In a separate development, the freed graduates were reportedly offered postings in the South-West as they prepared to continue their NYSC service.
The search for the perpetrators was ongoing, according to the report.
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