Police rescue 10 victims wey gunmen kidnap for Imo State inside buses wey dey go NYSC camps

Imo State Police Command say dem don intensify efforts to rescue corpers and oda passengers wey suspected gunmen abduct for Owerri-Onitsha Road.

Police say dem don rescue 10 of di victims for di scene of di incident.

According to Police Public Relations Officer of di command, DSP Okoye Henry, di operation dey happun in collaboration wit oda security agencies.

Di incident happun around 6:30am on October 1, 2026, near Umunoha for Owerri-Onitsha Road, wen suspected arm men attack two buses wey carry National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and oda passengers wey dey travel from lbadan go Uyo for Akwa lbom State and Bende for Abia State.

DSP Okoye say police operatives and other security agencies respond quickly to di attack, leading to di recovery of both buses and di rescue of 10 victims for di Scene.

"Di victims wey dem rescue dey safe and dem dey receive attention," e tok.

E add say authorities still dey verify di exact number of pipo wey dem abduct and dem go make di figure public once dem confirm am.

Wetin we know about di kidnapping of Nigerians for Imo State inside buses wey dey go NYSC camps

Gunmen don kidnap up to 19 pipo, most of dem prospective corps members of Nigeria National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) afta dem attack two buses for Imo State.

Di NYSC na govment programme wey dey send young Nigerian graduates to work and serve for different govment agencies in parts of di kontri for period of one year.

Di buses bin dey travel to NYSC orientation camps for Imo and neighbouring Akwa Ibom state wen di jaguda pipo attack dem on Thursday morning.

Di owner of di transport company, Isaiah Akpan, confam di incident to di BBC.

"Two of my vehicles pick up pipo for Ibadan last night. One bin dey go di NYSC camp for Akwa Ibom, and di oda bin dey go di NYSC camp for Imo State."

E say di attackers kidnap all di passengers for one bus and four from di second.

"Dis bring di total number of pipo wey dem kidnap to 19," e tok.

Dis dey come as Nigeria dey celebrate 66th Independence Anniversary.

Imo State police tok-tok pesin, Henry Okoye tell BBC say di police dey aware of di incident and dey work to rescue di victims.

Videos wey dey circulate online appear to show di two buses and pipo for di scene dey raise di alarm afta di attack, but di BBC neva independently verify di footage.

Di incident dey come days afta police for neighbouring Abia State say dem recova 28 human skulls and bones from suspected criminal camps inside forests.

Police say di remains dey suspected to belong to kidnapping victims and say investigations dey continue to establish dia identities.

Abia State Police tok-tok pesin Maureen Chinaka say na di investigation wey dem conduct on Sunday, September 27, 2026, lead to di discovery.

Dem say di investigation na sake of dia security operation under di name "Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements for di State".

Di police say dem dey on mission to comot all di bad pipo and criminal elements wey dey di state.

Kidnapping for ransom remain serious security problem for Nigeria as armed groups dey target travellers, farmers and residents for several parts of di kontri.

Di Nigerian govment don step up military and police operations against armed groups and criminal networks, and security agencies don report several rescues and di dismantling of suspected criminal camps for recent months.

But attacks and abductions dey continue, including on major roads. For August, police say 11 pipo, most of dem NYSC members, bin dey rescued afta two buses bin dey attacked for central Nigeria, Kogi State.

How Imo Police rescue corpers dem kidnap

According to di police tok-tok person, tactical teams and operational assets don dey deployed to support coordinated search-and-rescue operations, while intelligence efforts still dey ongoing to track down di suspected abductors.

Di Commissioner of Police for Imo State, CP Audu Garba Bosso, alongside oda service commanders, visit di Scene of di attack to assess di situation and provide operational direction.

DSP Okoye quote di commissioner say security agencies go kontinu di operation until dem rescue all di victims safely and bring those responsible to justice.

Di command also say e dey work wit di NYSC Directorate to reach affected corpers' families and keep dem informed on new developments.