By Reportcircle-Maiduguri
Seventy-four National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members 36 males and 38 females narrowly escaped abduction on Tuesday night after troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued them from Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Buratai–Kamuya road in Borno State.
The incident occurred around 9:05 p.m., when three buses conveying the corps members reportedly broke down near a known kidnapping hotspot, a stretch notorious for ambushes and hit-and-run attacks by insurgents.
According to Media Information Officer,
Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Uba 13 November, 2025 sources, a surveillance alert from a CCTV monitoring system at the Joint Task Force (JTF) Command Centre triggered the swift response.
“The cameras picked up suspicious movement involving three stationary buses,” a security source confirmed last night. “Troops were immediately dispatched for interception.”
The patrol team arrived at the scene minutes later to find the buses stranded in near-total darkness their passengers huddled inside, terrified.
“On arrival, troops discovered 74 NYSC members whose vehicles had developed mechanical faults,” the Operation Hadin Kai Media Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, said in a statement. “The troops immediately secured them to prevent a likely abduction attempt by Boko Haram or ISWAP elements operating in the area.”
The quick reaction, military officials say, may have prevented another mass-abduction tragedy similar to earlier high-profile kidnappings in the Northeast.
The rescued corps members were safely escorted to the Buratai military base, where they are currently being lodged and debriefed pending arrangements for onward movement to their destinations.
Residents in nearby communities described the Buratai–Kamuya axis as “a silent danger zone” after dusk.
The area sits along one of the remaining insurgent infiltration routes connecting southern Borno and northern Yobe.
“Those buses were very lucky,” said a local vigilante who works with the JTF. “That stretch has claimed many lives. Once you break down there at night, it’s only God or the soldiers that can save you.”
Theatre sources told Reportcircle in a press statement that the Operation Hadin Kai command has since intensified night patrols, drone sweeps, and surveillance along key transit corridors to prevent similar incidents.
Rear guard units and air reconnaissance assets are also being re-deployed to reinforce troop presence around flashpoints ahead of increased holiday travel in the Northeast.
Lieutenant Colonel Uba reaffirmed the military’s commitment to protecting civilians and critical national institutions, especially the NYSC scheme which regularly moves hundreds of young graduates across the country.
“The safety of Nigerians remains our operational priority,” he said. “The troops acted swiftly and professionally, ensuring that not a single life was lost or abducted.”
Wrong Military analysts praised the rescue as another success in the evolving intelligence-driven approach of the Nigerian Armed Forces under Operation Hadin Kai, which has recently recorded several pre-emptive strikes and foiled ambushes through improved surveillance coordination.
Security experts, however, urged better route planning and armed escort arrangements for NYSC convoys in high-risk regions.
“This close call shows why movement protocols must remain strict,” one analyst said. “The military did its job but logistics agencies must also avoid unnecessary exposure.”
For the 74 corps members, the night ended not in captivity but in safety a reminder that in the volatile heart of Borno, seconds can make the difference between rescue and tragedy.
