Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
NIGERIAN security forces have rescued 10 people following the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other travellers by suspected gunmen in Imo State, police confirmed on Thursday.
The Imo State Police Command said the victims were seized when two buses came under attack at about 6:30 a.m. near Umunoha, along the Owerri–Onitsha Road, as the vehicles travelled from Ibadan in Oyo State to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, the rescued victims are “in safe hands and are being attended to.”
“The exact number of persons abducted is being verified and will be made public once confirmed,” the Command added.
The incident followed earlier reports that as many as 20 corps members had been abducted while travelling in a commercial bus.
The two vehicles involved were reportedly bound for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively.
Police said tactical teams and operational assets were deployed in a coordinated search-and-rescue operation, supported by intelligence-led tracking aimed at locating the suspected abductors and securing the release of those still held.
The Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, alongside other service commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to provide operational direction.
He assured the public that the operation would continue until all victims were safely recovered and the suspects brought to justice.
“The Command will sustain the operation until all victims are safely recovered and the suspects are brought to justice,” the statement read in part.
The affected section of the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway has since been reopened, with traffic flowing normally, while security personnel remain deployed to protect commuters.
The Command said it was working with the NYSC directorate to contact the families of affected corps members and keep them informed as the operation progresses.
It urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant, and to provide credible information that could assist the rescue effort.
“All information will be treated in confidence,” police said, adding that further updates would be issued as the situation develops.
Thursday’s incident comes weeks after security forces rescued 15 corps members and six others abducted in Kogi State.
Those victims were freed after a sustained, intelligence-driven operation in Egume Forest, with security forces continuing efforts to apprehend the kidnappers.
Further updates will follow as the situation develops.
