At least 20 National Youth Service Corps members have reportedly been abducted along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State.
The corps members were said to be travelling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, to various NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when gunmen intercepted them around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.
The incident was confirmed by the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, in a telephone conversation with Channels Television.
Okoye said the Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, had visited the scene for an assessment, while the police and other security agencies were working to secure the victims’ safe release.
He said, “Security operatives are currently combing the surrounding bushes, while a Rapid Response Team has been deployed to track down the perpetrators and secure the safe release of the victims.”
The affected corps members were reportedly heading to orientation camps in states including Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Imo and Abia, as the 2026 Batch C Stream One orientation exercise began on September 30.
An eyewitness said the attackers stopped two vehicles, robbed the occupants and forced the passengers into a nearby bush.
The witness said, “This happened this morning. They robbed two vehicles coming from Lagos. They took all the passengers into the bush.”
The witness added that police officers had arrived at the scene while soldiers moved into the bush in an effort to locate the abducted passengers.
Meanwhile, a distraught mother has appealed for urgent intervention after her daughter, identified as Kehinde, was reportedly among those taken.
The woman said Kehinde and her twin sister, Taiwo, had left their home to begin their respective NYSC programmes. While Taiwo, who was posted to Enugu State, reportedly arrived safely at her camp, Kehinde was travelling to Akwa Ibom when communication with her family was suddenly cut off.
According to the mother, the travellers left Samonda in Ibadan around 9 a.m. on Wednesday and spent the night in Imo before resuming their journey on Thursday morning.
She said Kehinde sent a message to the family WhatsApp group shortly after 6 a.m., simply stating, “Kidnapper,” before making a missed call and becoming unreachable.
The distraught mother appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene.
She said, “We learnt my child, Kehinde, and the whole passengers and driver have been abducted. I’ve not been able to speak to my child.”
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of corps members travelling to orientation camps, particularly along major highways in the South-East and South-South.
