The Imo State Police Command and sister security agencies have intensified efforts to rescue corps members and other passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, near Umunoha.
The incident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026, when two buses conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, came under attack by suspected armed men.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Okoye Henry, the police and other security agencies responded swiftly to the attack, recovering both buses and rescuing 10 victims at the scene.
The Command said the rescued victims were safe and receiving necessary attention, while the exact number of persons still unaccounted for was being verified.
It added that tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed for coordinated search-and-rescue operations, supported by intelligence-led efforts to track the suspected abductors.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, alongside other security service commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and issued operational directives.
Bosso assured the public that security agencies would sustain the operation until all victims were safely recovered and the suspected abductors arrested and brought to justice.
The Police Command said it was also working with the NYSC Directorate to reach the families of affected corps members and keep them informed of developments.
Meanwhile, the affected section of the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway has been reopened to traffic, with security personnel deployed to protect commuters.
The Command urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant, while appealing to anyone with credible information about the incident or the whereabouts of the victims to contact the nearest police station or the Command’s emergency lines.
The Police assured the public that information supplied would be treated with confidentiality, adding that further updates would be issued as the operation progresses.
[…] According to the statement, the state government is in communication with relevant security agencies, the Imo State Government and the leadership of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to coordinate an … […]