DIG Visits Imo Abduction Scene, Orders Intensified Search For Missing NYSC Members

The Deputy Inspector General of Police has visited the scene of the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps members along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State, as security agencies intensify efforts to rescue those still missing.

The incident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, when gunmen reportedly attacked two buses conveying prospective corps members and other passengers travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

Police said the buses were heading to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively. The Imo State Police Command confirmed that both buses had been recovered and that 10 victims were rescued at the scene, while the exact number of people still in captivity was being verified.

The visit by the Deputy Inspector General followed the deployment of tactical teams and other operational assets to locate the suspected abductors and rescue the remaining victims. Earlier, Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, alongside other security commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and gave operational direction.

Reports from families and other sources have put the number of prospective corps members abducted at about 20, although the police have yet to officially confirm that figure. One transport company reportedly said the two buses had a combined 30 passengers, with 20 prospective corps members among those taken, but the police said verification was still ongoing.

The police said intelligence-led search and rescue operations would continue until all the victims were recovered. The affected section of the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway has since been reopened, while security personnel remain deployed in the area.