Key facts
- Police have located a camp holding 19 kidnapped national youth service recruits in Nigeria's Imo state.
- An immediate rescue is prevented by the belief that the camp is mined with explosives.
- Drones helped police identify the location of the abducted youths.
- The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 50 million naira ($37,680).
- The youths were abducted last week while traveling to orientation camps.
Nigerian police have located a camp holding 19 national youth service recruits who were abducted last week in the south-eastern Imo state, but a rescue operation is being hampered by the belief that the camp is rigged with explosives. Police Commissioner Audu Bosso confirmed that drone surveillance helped pinpoint the location, but intelligence suggests the area is mined with IEDs. Bulldozers and armored vehicles are being deployed as authorities prepare for a potential rescue. The abducted youths were traveling from Ibadan to orientation camps when their buses were attacked near Umunoha. The father of one of the kidnapped recruits, Omotosho Adewale, told the BBC that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of 50 million naira ($37,680), a sum he cannot afford, and expressed his distress, stating he has not eaten in three days. Kidnapping for ransom is a significant security issue in Nigeria, with authorities warning against paying ransoms, though families often feel compelled to do so. This incident highlights the risks faced by young graduates undertaking their compulsory one-year national youth service program.