Families of prospective National Youth Service Corps members have been thrown into panic after gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State, with police confirming that 10 victims have been rescued while the number still in captivity is being verified.
Families of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from Oyo State have been thrown into panic after gunmen attacked two buses conveying corps members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
The attack occurred at about 6:30 a.m. yesterday near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Council, as the victims travelled from Ibadan to various NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
The exact number of people abducted was still being verified by the Imo State Police Command last night, although family sources said about 20 prospective corps members were among those travelling in the two buses.
A relative of one of the victims said the young graduates left Samonda, Ibadan, at about 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday and stopped overnight in Imo State before resuming their journey the following morning.
According to the relative, the buses were ambushed shortly after the passengers set out towards Abia State, leaving families anxiously waiting for information about their loved ones.
Confirming the attack, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, said two buses conveying NYSC members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively, were attacked by suspected armed men.
Okoye said the police and other security agencies responded swiftly, recovering both buses and rescuing 10 victims at the scene.
He said the rescued victims were safe and receiving attention, adding that the exact number of persons abducted was being established and would be made public once confirmed.
Okoye said the Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, alongside other security commanders, had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and directed the ongoing search and rescue operation.
He added that tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed, while security operatives were conducting intelligence-led searches and combing surrounding areas in an effort to locate the abducted passengers and arrest the suspected kidnappers.
The police spokesperson said the command was also working with the NYSC Directorate to reach the families of affected corps members and keep them informed as the operation progressed.
He said the affected section of the Owerri-Onitsha Road had been reopened and traffic restored, while security personnel remained deployed to protect commuters.
The abduction has heightened concerns among families over the safety of young graduates travelling long distances to report for NYSC orientation.
For relatives of those still missing, however, the immediate concern is their safe return as security agencies intensify efforts to locate them.
