Gunmen who abducted 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps have demanded a total ransom of ₦950 million for their release, according to reports from the transport company involved and families of the victims.
The attack occurred on Thursday morning, October 1, 2026, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The victims were passengers in two buses operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, heading to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
Isiah Akpan, Managing Director of the transport company, confirmed that the gunmen demanded ₦50 million for each of the 19 victims. He said the occupants of the vehicles were graduates travelling for their national service.
The buses departed Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday but were delayed by traffic around Benin in Edo State. They reached Onitsha, Anambra State, late that day and spent the night in Oba due to poor road conditions.
The journey resumed around 5 a.m. on Thursday. Shortly after entering Imo State, gunmen emerged from the bush, blocked the vehicles, and marched 19 passengers into the forest.
The drivers escaped and alerted security personnel at a nearby checkpoint, prompting an immediate response from police and military teams.
Search efforts were initially hindered when some villagers allegedly prevented security operatives from moving the abandoned buses, which were later recovered with passengers’ belongings scattered inside.
The Imo State Police Command announced that 10 victims had been rescued following a coordinated operation. Police Public Relations Officer DSP Henry Okoye said security agencies were conducting intelligence-led searches for the remaining victims and the suspects. He could not immediately confirm whether the rescued individuals were among the abducted corps members. The Inspector-General of Police later deployed the Deputy Inspector-General in charge of Operations to Imo State to oversee and strengthen the rescue efforts.
Families of the victims have been thrown into panic after receiving direct contacts from the abductors. One parent, who requested anonymity, said the kidnappers called using her son’s phone and demanded ₦50 million specifically for his release. Another mother, Mrs Oladosu, whose daughter Greatness was travelling to Uyo, said the family briefly spoke with the victims via video call and saw them sitting on the ground in the bush, crying. “Where will petty traders get ₦50m? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?” she lamented.
In a viral video, Mrs Alimotu Akanke, mother of Akande Farouq (posted to Abia State), recounted how her son sent a one-word message—“Kidnappers!”—to the family WhatsApp group before his phone went dead.
A passenger manifest from the two buses listed 30 people in total (15 per vehicle). Named among them were Akande Kehinde, Olaleye Mary, Oladosu Greatness, Obafunsho Rhoda, and several others. Two other vehicles from the same company heading to Abia State escaped the attack.
Friends and relatives have launched social media appeals for the safe release of the victims, including Precious Oladipupo (a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University), Wahab Ayandare, and Oyindamola Adeoye.
The Oyo State Government condemned the abduction as “distressing and reprehensible.” Commissioner for Information Dotun Oyelade said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed that all necessary resources be deployed in coordination with security agencies, the Imo State Government, and NYSC leadership to secure the victims’ safe return. “We are fully committed to securing the safe release of our children and will stop at nothing to ensure that they are reunited with their families without harm,” the statement said.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of prospective corps members during interstate travel to orientation camps. It comes weeks after a similar abduction of NYSC members in Kogi State and follows other reported cases involving corps members in recent years.
Security analysts have called for stronger protective measures along known high-risk routes and a possible review of NYSC deployment policies to reduce exposure during mobilisation periods.
As of the latest reports, rescue operations involving police, military, and other security agencies remain ongoing in the area. The NYSC Directorate of Public Relations had not issued an official response at the time of filing.
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