For motorists and passengers using the Owerri-Onitsha Road, the journey has increasingly become one of anxiety. The latest attack, in which 18 corps members were reportedly abducted, has again brought the security situation along the major highway into sharp focus, with residents recounting how gunmen have repeatedly forced travellers out from their vehicles and marched them into surrounding bushes.
The latest incident occurred on Thursday when gunmen attacked buses conveying NYSC members travelling from Ibadan to their orientation camps in Imo, Abia and Akwa Ibom states. The attack occurred around 6:30am at Umunoha, along the Onitsha-Owerri Road, according to the Imo State Police Command. Police said 10 of the victims had been rescued, while eight others were still missing as security operatives combed surrounding forests in search of them.
The incident, however, was not the first to cause panic among communities along the route. Umunoha, located about 13 kilometres from Owerri and roughly 80 kilometres from Onitsha, lies along the busy Onitsha-Owerri corridor, a major route connecting Imo State with Anambra State. Chief Charles Obialor, a community leader in Azara-Obiato Autonomous Community, told The Nation that residents were thrown into panic on Thursday morning after they suddenly heard gunshots.
According to him, the attackers operated around the highway before taking their victims into the bush, leaving residents and motorists confused and frightened. Obialor said the development was particularly disturbing because the area had witnessed security concerns in the past. He said security operatives later moved into the area and began efforts to trace the abductors and locate their victims.
The community leader believes the vast stretches of undeveloped land and surrounding forests have made it easier for criminals to operate. He called on the government to clear the bushes and establish a major project in the area to attract legitimate economic activities and increase security presence. Obialor alleged that some residents had abandoned their farmlands because of fear of attacks by suspected kidnappers and armed herders.
A number of indigenes of the area who spoke to The Nation also expressed concern that the attackers allegedly shot sporadically into the air during the operation without apparent resistance, despite the reported presence of a military checkpoint close to the scene of the incident. The latest attack has also revived accounts of ransom payments involving other travellers along the highway.
Community activist Chidiebube Okeoma said a friend and his family were allegedly kidnapped on the route recently and that N21 million was paid to secure their release. For the families of the eight victims still missing after the latest attack, however, the immediate concern is their safe return. The Imo Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police CP Audu Garba Bosso, has deployed tactical teams and other security personnel to the area, with operations continuing in the surrounding forests.
Key points
- The Owerri-Onitsha Road has witnessed a surge in kidnapping incidents, with residents and travellers recounting ransom payments and attacks by gunmen.
- The latest attack on Thursday resulted in the abduction of 18 corps members, with 10 rescued and eight still missing.
- Residents are demanding action from the government and security agencies to address the security concerns and clear the bushes that have made it easier for criminals to operate.
