The Imo State Police Command, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has intensified search-and-rescue operations following the abduction of NYSC members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The incident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026, around Umunoha, when suspected armed men attacked two buses conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers travelling from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Okoye Henry, the Command, led by the Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso immediately deployed tactical teams and operational assets to rescue the victims and apprehend the suspected abductors.
The police and other security agencies recovered both buses and rescued 10 victims at the scene.
However, the Command said the exact number of persons abducted was still being verified and would be made public once confirmed.
Operatives are currently conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations, supported by intelligence-led tracking of the suspects.
The Commissioner of Police, alongside other service commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to provide operational direction.
Bosso assured the public that security agencies would sustain the operation until all victims were safely recovered and the suspects brought to justice.
The Command also said it was working with the NYSC Directorate to reach the families of affected corps members and keep them informed as the situation develops.
The affected section of the expressway has since been reopened to traffic, while security personnel remain deployed to protect commuters.
The police urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant, 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 Command assured the public that all information supplied would be treated confidentially.
Further updates, it said, would be issued as the rescue operation progresses.
