The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Federal Government to deploy all available intelligence and security resources to rescue 19 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted in Imo State, as their distraught parents appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to intervene in securing their release.

The appeal came amid concerns over the safety of the abducted graduates following the disclosure by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, that security agencies had located the forest hideout where the victims were being held but had yet to advance into the area because intelligence reports indicated that it was allegedly rigged with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The prospective corps members were reportedly travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their respective NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked the two buses conveying them around Umunoha, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, on Thursday.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA described the discovery of the kidnappers’ hideout as a critical development that should prompt an urgent, coordinated rescue operation.

The group urged the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services and Nigerian Air Force to establish a unified rescue command and deploy personnel trained in hostage rescue, explosive ordnance disposal, intelligence gathering and jungle operations.

It also called for sustained aerial surveillance and ground intelligence to prevent the kidnappers from relocating the victims or harming them, while urging security agencies to secure the area, block possible escape routes and deploy bomb-disposal experts and appropriate armoured equipment to neutralise any explosive threats.

HURIWA cautioned against a reckless assault on the hideout, stressing that the safe recovery of the victims must take precedence over any other consideration.

While the security operation continued in Imo State, the parents of the abducted graduates visited Oba Ladoja at his Bodija residence in Ibadan on Saturday, appealing to the monarch to use his influence and personal contacts to facilitate their children’s release.

The parents, numbering about 20, expressed concern over the condition of their children, who had reportedly spent about two days in captivity at the time of the visit.

Speaking on behalf of the families, Alhaja Halima Akande and Oyebola Michael Akande urged the Olubadan to use his good offices to prevail on relevant authorities and assist ongoing efforts to secure the victims’ safe return.

Oba Ladoja, who received the delegation alongside the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola Adeyeri III, assured the parents that the government was making efforts to address the situation.

HURIWA further urged the authorities to establish a dedicated communication channel to provide the families with regular and credible updates on the rescue operation, warning that the absence of reliable information could deepen their distress.

The association called for the arrest and prosecution of the kidnappers and their collaborators after the victims had been safely recovered. It also urged the government to provide the rescued graduates with medical, psychological and welfare support to help them recover from the trauma of captivity.

The group said the incident should trigger a broader review of security arrangements for the NYSC scheme, citing recurring threats faced by prospective corps members while travelling to orientation camps. It renewed its call for a comprehensive review of the scheme, including its proposal for a one-year suspension to allow the Federal Government to develop a sustainable security framework.