Suspected terrorists have hijacked two 18-seater commercial buses and abducted all their passengers, including 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway in Imo State.
The victims were en route to their respective primary assignment locations in Akwa Ibom, Abia, and Enugu states when the incident occurred.
According to local sources, the buses—which departed from the Samonda park in Ibadan, Oyo State, around 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday—stopped over to rest near Onitsha before resuming their journey in the early hours of Thursday.
The attackers swooped on the vehicles at the Umunoha axis of the road in the Mbaitolu Local Government Area, forcing the terrified passengers into the surrounding bush before security operatives could arrive.
Recounting the harrowing ordeal, Mrs. Alimotu Akanke, the mother of one of the abducted victims, shared how her family tracked the journey online before tragedy struck.
She explained that her son, Akande Farouq, was heading to Abia State to serve his fatherland when they received a chilling, brief text message reading simply: “Kidnappers!” Attempts to reach the phone afterward yielded no response, while video footage sent by another passenger confirmed the abandonment of their personal belongings inside the vehicle.
While the drivers of both buses managed to escape the ambush, authorities estimate that roughly 19 passengers were successfully marched into captivity by the armed gang.
A distraught Mrs. Akanke made an emotional public appeal to the Federal Government, security agencies, and the NYSC management to intensify rescue efforts. “Think of the effort put into raising them, only for them to be abducted on their way to serve their nation,” she pleaded, calling for swift intervention to secure the safe return of the young graduates.
As of press time, security agencies in Imo State have yet to issue an official statement regarding the rescue operations, though local security patrols have reportedly been beefed up around the axis.
The incident has once again sparked widespread concern among parents and stakeholders over the safety of youth corps members embarking on interstate travels to their designated service states.
