Police confirm NYSC members among passengers abducted on Owerri-Onitsha road, say 10 rescued

The Imo State Police Command has confirmed that members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were among passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on Thursday morning.

Okoye Henry, police spokesperson in Imo, said 10 of the victims had been rescued.

He said the exact number of people abducted was still being verified and would be made public once confirmed.

The incident occurred around 6:30am on Thursday, October 1, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road by Umunoha.

According to the police, two buses conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, were attacked by suspected armed men.

TheCable had reported that tension erupted on the road after gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses carrying passengers and took them into the bush.

A viral video circulated on X showed that the victims were travelling to Akwa Ibom and Abia states in buses branded with the Abia State Government logo when the attackers intercepted the vehicles and robbed the passengers.

Okoye said a swift response by the police and other security agencies led to the recovery of both buses and the rescue of 10 victims at the scene.

“The rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to. The exact number of persons abducted is being verified and will be made public once confirmed,” he said.

The police spokesperson said coordinated search and rescue operations were ongoing, supported by intelligence aimed at tracking the suspects and rescuing the remaining victims.

He added that the Commissioner of Police in Imo, alongside other service commanders, had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to provide operational direction.

Okoye said the command would sustain the operation until all the victims were safely recovered and the suspects brought to justice.

He added that the police were working with the NYSC directorate to reach the families of the affected corps members and keep them informed as the situation developed.

The affected section of the expressway has since been reopened, with traffic flowing normally, while security personnel remained deployed to protect commuters.

The command appealed for calm and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any credible information to the nearest police station or the command’s emergency lines.

“All information will be treated in confidence,” Okoye added.