The Oyo State Government has condemned the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other travellers in Imo State, assuring affected families that it is working with security agencies and relevant authorities to secure the victims’ safe return.
The incident occurred on the Owerri–Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, where gunmen attacked buses conveying passengers, including prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South. Imo State Police confirmed the abduction.
Oyo government coordinates with authorities
In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Oyo State Government described the incident as distressing and reprehensible.
Oyelade said the government was in communication with security agencies, the Imo State Government and the NYSC leadership to coordinate the response.
“The Government of Oyo State condemns this reprehensible act and is in close communication with relevant security agencies, the Imo State Government, and the leadership of the National Youth Service Corps to ensure a coordinated and urgent response,” he said.
The state government also appealed for calm among the victims’ families as efforts continued to establish the whereabouts of those taken and secure their release.
Police report rescue of 10 people
In a subsequent update published on October 1, Channels Television reported that police had rescued 10 people following the abduction. The police said search-and-rescue operations were continuing to locate the remaining victims and apprehend the suspected abductors.
The development represents an important update to the initial reports, although it does not mean that every abducted passenger had been accounted for.
The attack has raised fresh concerns about the safety of travellers using major roads in the South-East, particularly young Nigerians travelling long distances to attend NYSC orientation camps.
Families await further updates
The NYSC scheme requires graduates to travel to designated orientation camps, sometimes far from their states of origin. Incidents involving prospective corps members have therefore renewed calls for stronger protection of inter-state travellers and more effective responses to highway attacks.
The immediate priorities remain the safe return of all remaining victims, the provision of accurate information to their families and the identification of those responsible.
Authorities should provide further verified updates as the operation progresses.