Twenty prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and one other passenger who were kidnapped along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have been released.
The victims were abducted by gunmen while traveling on the highway, an incident that triggered a security operation for their rescue.
According to reports on Wednesday, the freed victims have been taken to the DSS Hospital in Owerri for medical checks and care.
Their release comes a few days after gunmen were said to have intercepted vehicles conveying prospective corps members to their orientation camps.
The abduction had raised fresh concerns about the safety of young Nigerians traveling for the compulsory one-year national service.
Security operatives had intensified search and rescue efforts after the incident to locate the victims and ensure their safe return.
While the current condition of the rescued individuals has not been disclosed, they are undergoing medical evaluation.
Details about how they were released and whether any suspects have been arrested are still unclear.
