BREAKING: 20 Prospective Corps Members Abducted Along Imo Highway

At least 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have reportedly been abducted by gunmen along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, October 1, 2026, around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state, as Nigeria marked its 66th Independence Day.

According to reports, the victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to various NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when the attackers intercepted their vehicles. Channels Television, citing the Imo State Police Command, reported that 20 corps members were abducted.

The affected travellers were reportedly conveyed in commercial buses, with one of the vehicles identified as belonging to Uko Akwa Ibom Motors. Reports said the buses were intercepted at about 5:30am, after which the passengers were allegedly robbed and taken into the surrounding bush.

Some of the victims were said to have boarded buses at Samonda in Ibadan and were travelling to orientation camps in states including Abia, Imo, Enugu and Akwa Ibom.

A video from the scene showed an abandoned commercial bus along the highway, while an eyewitness alleged that passengers and drivers had been taken into the bush by the attackers.

The incident has also triggered anxiety among families of prospective corps members. In one account circulated online, a woman said her daughter, who was travelling to an NYSC orientation camp, sent the word “kidnapper” to their family WhatsApp group before her phone became unreachable.

Initial reports had placed the number of victims as unclear, with some accounts saying several travellers were abducted from two 18-seater buses. Subsequent reporting by Channels Television, however, cited the Imo police as confirming that 20 corps members were among those abducted.

Following the attack, security operatives were deployed to the area. The Imo State Police Command said its Commissioner, Audu Bosso, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment, while police and other security agencies began combing the surrounding bushes for the victims.

The police also reportedly deployed a Rapid Response Team to track the attackers and facilitate the safe and unconditional release of the abducted corps members.

The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to NYSC orientation camps, particularly those journeying across states and through highways affected by insecurity.

Authorities have yet to announce the rescue of the victims as of the latest reports, while efforts to locate the abducted travellers and apprehend those responsible continue.