In a major development in the ongoing search-and-rescue operation in Imo State, security operatives have located the exact forest hideout where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members are currently being held hostage.

 

The victims were abducted on Thursday along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State while traveling in two commercial buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

 

Giving an update during a media briefing on Saturday, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, **Audu Garba Bosso**, revealed both a breakthrough and a tactical complication in the rescue operation.

 

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#### **High-Tech Aerial Surveillance Finds the Camp**

 

Police operatives used specialized drone technology to trail the armed kidnappers deep into the bush. The aerial footage provided precise GPS coordinates confirming the exact position of the captives and their abductors.

 

> *"Yesterday we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location... We ran drones yesterday, and the drone actually showed us exactly their location,"* CP Bosso explained.

 

#### **The Operational Dilemma: Landmines & IEDs**

 

Despite knowing the exact coordinates, ground forces were forced to pause an immediate assault. Intelligence reports indicate that the kidnappers have heavily mined the perimeter surrounding their camp with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

 

Moving in on foot or with standard tactical units without clearing the explosives risks triggering detonations that could harm the hostages or security personnel.

 

#### **Heavy Armor & Demolition Gear Deployed**

 

To overcome the landmine threat and breach the perimeter safely, the police command is bringing in heavy engineering and armored assets.

 

The tactical response now involves:

 

* **Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs):** To protect tactical teams from small-arms fire and fragmentation blasts during the advance.

* **Industrial Bulldozers:** To clear paths through the dense vegetation and detonate or neutralize IED obstacles along the approach route.

 

Security forces remain on standby around the forest perimeter, preparing to breach the camp and execute the rescue as soon as the heavy equipment is in position.