The Imo State Police Command has rescued 10 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The corps members were among passengers travelling in commercial buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when the attackers reportedly intercepted the vehicles.
The police said tactical teams and operational assets were immediately deployed in collaboration with other security agencies following the incident.
In a statement, the command’s spokesperson, SP Henry Okoye, said the security teams moved to rescue the abducted corps members and other passengers while also working to apprehend the suspected kidnappers.
According to Okoye, the security response led to the recovery of both buses and the rescue of 10 victims at the scene.
“The rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to.”
The police spokesperson said the exact number of people abducted had not yet been established, adding that authorities were still verifying the figure.
He said the confirmed number would be made public once the verification process was completed.
Okoye added that security operatives were conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations, supported by intelligence-led tracking of the suspected abductors.
The development came after reports that 20 corps members travelling to different NYSC orientation camps had been abducted along the route, although the police said the final number of victims was still being verified.
The command has not disclosed the identities of the rescued corps members or provided details on whether other passengers remain in captivity.
Security agencies are continuing the search operation as efforts intensify to locate any remaining victims and arrest those responsible for the attack.
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