NYSC members’ ∆bduction: Police r€scue 10 v!ctims, recover two buses in Imo
NYSC members’ abduction: Police rescue 10 victims, recover two buses in Imo
The Imo State Police Command, in collaboration with sister agencies, has recovered two buses and 10 kidnapped victims at the scene of an attack.
This followed the deployment of tactical teams and operational assets that helped rescue the abducted corps members and other passengers and arrest the suspected abductors.
In a statement issued in Owerri on Thursday by the Imo Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Okoye Henry, he said that the incident occurred at about 0630hrs on 1 October 2026, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, by Umunoha.
He said two buses conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively, were attacked by suspected armed men.
According to him, following a swift response by the police and other security agencies, both buses were recovered while 10 victims were rescued at the scene.
Okoye confirmed that the rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to, while the exact number of persons abducted is being verified and will be made public once confirmed.
The Police Command spokesperson said that operatives are conducting coordinated search and rescue operations, backed by intelligence-led tracking of the suspects.
He said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, alongside other Service Commanders, has visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to give operational direction, with an assurance that the Command will sustain the operation until all victims are safely recovered and the suspects are brought to justice.
He said that the Command is working with the NYSC Directorate to reach the families of the affected corps members, who will be kept informed as the situation develops.
Meanwhile, according to him, the affected section of the expressway has been reopened and traffic is flowing, while security personnel remain deployed to protect commuters.
The Command appeals for calm and urges the public to remain vigilant, urging anyone with credible information to report to the nearest police station or contact the Command’s emergency lines.
