Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Families of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from Oyo State have been thrown into fresh panic after kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million for each of 20 graduates abducted while travelling to their orientation camps in Imo State.
The victims were among passengers travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two commercial buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The attack occurred at about 6:30 a.m., according to the Imo State Police Command.
The exact number of people initially abducted has been the subject of conflicting accounts. The transport company said 19 passengers, all reportedly corps members, were taken into the bush, leading to an initial ransom figure of N950 million. However, the Defence Headquarters later said 20 passengers were abducted from the two buses, while the affected families have maintained that 20 prospective corps members remain in captivity. On that basis, the latest ransom demand reported by the families is N1 billion.
The buses, operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, departed Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday. According to the company’s managing director, Isiah Akpan, the journey was delayed by heavy traffic around Benin, Edo State, and the vehicles eventually reached Onitsha, Anambra State, late that day.
Because of road conditions and the late hour, the passengers and drivers reportedly spent the night around Oba before resuming their journey at about 5 a.m. on Thursday. The buses had barely entered Imo State when armed men emerged from the surrounding bush, blocked the vehicles and forced passengers into the bush. The drivers escaped and raised the alarm, prompting security personnel to begin a search.
The Imo State Police Command said 10 victims were rescued after security agencies responded to the attack. The Defence Headquarters subsequently clarified that the 10 rescued passengers included eight prospective corps members. It said troops of Operation UDO KA, working with police, the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Air Force, continued efforts to locate those still being held.
The security operation has faced a serious obstacle. Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso said security operatives used drone surveillance to locate the suspected kidnappers’ camp but did not immediately move into the area because intelligence indicated that the location had been planted with improvised explosive devices. He said security agencies were preparing to enter the area with specialised equipment, including armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers, in an effort to rescue the victims safely.
At the federal level, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation. Police headquarters said additional tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed and that intelligence-led tracking was being used to pursue the abductors.
The development has intensified pressure on authorities after relatives said the kidnappers began contacting families through the mobile phones of some abducted graduates. Parents who visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan on Saturday said the abductors demanded N50 million for each victim and gave them 24 hours to raise the money.
The parents said the kidnappers threatened that something untoward would happen to the victims if the demand was not met within the deadline. Their appeal reflected the severe financial burden facing the families, many of whom said they had no realistic means of raising tens of millions of naira for their children, who were travelling to begin their compulsory national service.
One parent, speaking on behalf of the affected families, appealed to the Olubadan and security authorities to intervene urgently. Another mother said her daughter was travelling to Uyo when the attack occurred and that the family was briefly able to see her and other victims during a video call initiated through her phone.
The families’ account has added another layer of uncertainty to the incident because of the differing figures released since the attack. The police initially said the exact number abducted was still being verified. The Defence Headquarters later confirmed that 20 people had been taken and that 10 had been rescued, including eight prospective corps members. The families, meanwhile, have continued to speak of 20 graduates being held.
Oyo State authorities have also moved to reassure the affected families. The state government condemned the abduction and said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed that necessary resources be deployed to support efforts to secure the victims’ release. The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, said he had remained in contact with his Imo counterpart and was assured that security agencies were working to rescue the victims unharmed.
Olubadan Ladoja also assured the parents that efforts were underway to bring their children home safely. The police have not disclosed whether any ransom has been paid, nor have authorities announced an arrest in connection with the attack.
The incident has renewed concerns about the security risks faced by young Nigerians travelling across states for the NYSC scheme. Prospective corps members often travel long distances during mobilisation periods, sometimes along routes where criminal gangs have previously operated. Security analysts have therefore renewed calls for stronger protection arrangements and better risk assessment for corps members moving through known security corridors.
The NYSC scheme, established to promote national unity by deploying graduates across different parts of Nigeria, has faced repeated security challenges in recent years. Abductions involving corps members have raised concerns among parents and graduates about interstate travel and deployment to areas affected by insecurity.
For now, families remain focused on one immediate objective: the safe return of their children. With security agencies saying operations are continuing and the suspected camp reportedly located, attention is fixed on whether the authorities can overcome the reported explosive threat and reach the remaining abductees before the ransom deadline expires.
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