Crime Watch:
Police Rescue 10 After Abduction Of Corps Members In Imo
The police said their tactical teams were conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations, supported by intelligence-led tracking aimed at locating the suspected abductors.
This image shows policemen taking position in Abuja. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)
The Imo State Police Command on Thursday said security agencies have launched a swift operation that led to the rescue of 10 victims abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
This was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye.
“The rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to. The exact number of persons abducted is being verified and will be made public once confirmed,” the Command said.
It said it deployed tactical teams and operational assets in a coordinated search-and-rescue operation following the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) corps members and other passengers.
The Command said two buses carrying corps members and other passengers were attacked by suspected armed men at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026, near Umunoha.
The development follows the reported abduction of 20 corps members along the road while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
The victims were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus when they were intercepted by gunmen.
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According to the Command, the two buses were conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively, when they came under attack.
The Command said its tactical teams were conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations, supported by intelligence-led tracking aimed at locating the suspected abductors and securing the release of the remaining victims.
It said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Bosso, alongside other service commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to provide operational direction.
The police said Bosso assured the public that the operation would continue until all victims were safely recovered and the suspects brought to justice.
“The Commissioner of Police, alongside other Service Commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to give operational direction. He assured the public that the Command will sustain the operation until all victims are safely recovered and the suspects are brought to justice,” the statement read in part
The affected section of the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway has since been reopened, with traffic flowing normally, while security personnel remain deployed to protect commuters.
The Command also said it was working with the NYSC directorate to contact the families of affected corps members and keep them informed as the operation progresses.
It urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the rescue operation.
“All information will be treated in confidence,” the police said, adding that further updates would be issued as the situation progresses.
The incident comes weeks after security forces rescued 15 corps members and six others abducted in Kogi State.
The victims were rescued after a sustained, intelligence-driven operation in Egume Forest, with security forces continuing efforts to apprehend the kidnappers.
