In the community of Iseke, located in the Ihiala local government area of Anambra State, 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were kidnapped on Tuesday by gunmen.
The NYSC members had recently finished their three-week orientation program in Imo State and were on their way to Lagos when they were abducted at a petrol station along the Onitsha-Owerri road in Ihiala. The hoodlums fled when they realized they were being trailed by security operatives.
Iseke, which borders Orsu local government area of Imo State, has become a haven for gunmen who operate in Imo State and parts of Ihiala in Anambra State. Four days before the kidnapping, gunmen had killed three policemen working for Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, in the same community.
Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and stated that the 15 corps members were rescued unhurt. According to the PPRO’s statement, the corps members’ vehicle was intercepted at Total Filling Station junction in Ihiala by armed men in an unmarked white Toyota Hilux. The armed men then diverted the vehicle to Iseke, where they held the corps members hostage. They fled with the Toyota Hiace bus with registration number EPE 353 YE, which was conveying the NYSC members, when they noticed they were being followed by police operatives.
The PPRO added that the corps members had been debriefed by police operatives and would be conveyed back to their destinations.
Comments are closed.