On October 2, 2026, troops from Operation UDO KA successfully rescued eight prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were abducted by gunmen in Imo State. The abduction occurred along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, specifically at Umonuwa village in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area. The victims were among 30 passengers traveling in two commercial buses when the gunmen intercepted the vehicles.
According to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), the gunmen flagged down the buses and abducted 20 persons, including several prospective corps members. Fortunately, troops and other security agencies intervened, leading to the rescue of ten passengers, including the eight prospective corps members, unharmed. The rescue operation was a collaborative effort between troops and personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, and the Nigerian Air Force.
The incident occurred amid heightened security operations across Nigeria as prospective corps members traveled to various orientation camps for the 2026 Batch C Stream One exercise. The DHQ reported that troops had sustained operations against terrorism, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality across the country’s six geopolitical zones. This includes operations in the North-East, where troops recorded the surrender of four terrorists and their associates in Borno State.
In addition to the rescue in Imo State, troops in the North-East arrested suspected terrorist collaborators in Borno and Yobe states. On October 1, troops supported by the Air Component neutralized five terrorists during coordinated operations in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The operations resulted in the recovery of three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action rifles, one Dane gun, six AK-47 magazines, and a belt of pump-action cartridges.
In other parts of the country, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE in the North-Central rescued three persons suspected to have been released by kidnappers in Gbise community, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State. The victims reported being abducted in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State. Efforts are underway to track the kidnap syndicate. Meanwhile, in the South-South, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE rescued NDLEA personnel who were mobbed and disarmed by residents of Ekureku community in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The troops in the South-South recovered five FN rifles and two Beretta pistols that had been seized from the NDLEA personnel by the residents. In the South-East, troops also rescued three persons abducted from the Osakwa area of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. Following information obtained from an arrested kidnapper, troops located the syndicate’s camp and conducted a follow-up operation, resulting in the neutralization of 10 terrorists and the recovery of assorted arms and ammunition.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, commended the troops for their courage and professionalism, particularly their intervention in Cross River State and the ongoing operation to rescue the remaining abductees in Imo. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Armed Forces and other security agencies and urged members of the public to provide credible and timely information to troops.
Key points
- Eight prospective NYSC members were rescued unharmed by Nigerian troops in Imo State.
- The rescue operation was a collaborative effort between troops and other security agencies.
- Troops continue to sustain operations against terrorism and kidnapping across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
