On Thursday, gunmen attacked two buses carrying 19 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State. The victims, who were traveling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, were taken into the bush. The abductors have demanded N950m, or N50m per victim, for their release.
According to Isiah Akpan, Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, the buses left Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday but were delayed by traffic around Benin, Edo State. The vehicles eventually reached Onitsha, Anambra State, late in the day and spent the night in Oba due to the road conditions. The buses resumed their journey around 5 am on Thursday but were attacked shortly after entering Imo State.
The Imo State Police Command reported that 10 victims were rescued on Thursday night. Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, stated that security agencies were on the trail of the abductors and had launched a coordinated search for the remaining victims. However, Okoye could not confirm if the rescued victims were among the abducted corps members.
Families of the victims are in a state of panic. A parent of one of the victims, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that the abductors contacted her through her son's phone and demanded N50m for his release. Another mother, Mrs. Oladosu, whose daughter Greatness was traveling to Uyo, said the abductors briefly contacted the family through her daughter's phone, and they were able to see Greatness and other victims during a video call.
The Oyo State Government has condemned the incident, describing the abduction as distressing and reprehensible. Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, stated that the government is in close communication with relevant security agencies, the Imo State Government, and the NYSC leadership to ensure an urgent and coordinated response. Governor Seyi Makinde has directed that all necessary resources be deployed to secure the safe return of the victims.
This incident is not the first time NYSC members have been abducted. Thirty-six days prior, 15 prospective corps members were abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. They were later rescued from Egume Forest in Ofu LGA. In May, an Abuja-based lawyer and corps member, Eunice Ameh, was abducted in Maitama, Abuja, but later regained her freedom after a ransom was reportedly paid.
Friends and family members of the victims have taken to social media to seek support for their rescue. Adebayo (@Adebayoakim1) and Akinlabi Abayomi (@Mubiiiiin) have solicited public support for the safe release of Wahab Ayandare and Oyindamola Adeoye, who were allegedly abducted in the same incident. The families and friends are calling for help in securing the release of the victims.
Key points
- The abductors have demanded N950m, or N50m per victim, for the release of the 19 NYSC members.
- The Oyo State Government has condemned the incident and is working with security agencies to secure the safe return of the victims.
- This incident is the latest in a series of abductions targeting NYSC members, highlighting the need for increased security measures to protect them during their service.
