Nearly twenty corps members serving under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been abducted by gunmen along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State. The incident occurred on October 1, 2026, when the corps members were traveling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, to different NYSC orientation camps in the Southeast and South-South regions.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident. He stated that the gunmen intercepted the vehicle carrying the corps members along the busy highway and abducted the passengers. Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
According to Okoye, security agencies have intensified efforts to locate the abducted corps members and secure their release. Security operatives are combing surrounding bushes where the kidnappers were believed to have fled after the attack. A Rapid Response Team has also been deployed to track the perpetrators and rescue the victims safely.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of corps members traveling between states as part of their national service obligations. This incident comes weeks after another group of corps members was caught up in a kidnapping incident along a major road in Kogi State. In August, 15 NYSC members were abducted while traveling through Kogi State after completing their orientation program.
The abducted corps members in Kogi State were traveling towards Abuja when their vehicles were intercepted along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. The victims were later rescued on August 31 by joint security forces comprising the police, military, Department of State Services, and other auxiliary forces.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, stated that the corps members were rescued from Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State following a coordinated security operation. The priority of the security agencies in the current incident is to ensure that the corps members are rescued “unhurt and unconditionally.”
The spate of kidnappings has raised concerns about the security situation in Nigeria. The authorities have promised to take concrete steps to address the issue and ensure the safety of citizens, including corps members serving under the NYSC.
Key points
- Nearly 20 NYSC corps members were abducted along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State while traveling to orientation camps.
- This incident follows a similar kidnapping incident in Kogi State in August, where 15 corps members were abducted and later rescued.
- The authorities have deployed security operatives to rescue the abducted corps members and ensure their safe return.
