Gunmen have abducted 20 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) along the Owerri–Onitsha Road near Umunoha community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, police said.
The victims were travelling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, to various orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when gunmen intercepted the vehicle, Imo State Police Public Relations Officer Henry Okoye told Channels Television.
Inspector-General Audu Bosso (note: confirm title) visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment, Okoye said, and police and other security agencies have intensified efforts to secure the safe and unconditional release of the abductees. Security operatives are combing surrounding bush areas, and a Rapid Response Team has been deployed to track the kidnappers, he added.
The incident follows an earlier kidnapping that occurred in late August, when gunmen attacked vehicles on the Aloma–Egane Expressway. Those victims were later recovered in a coordinated operation by joint security forces, including the police, military and the Department of State Services (DSS). Defence Media Operations Director Major General Michael Onoja said the rescued victims were recovered from Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. President Bola Tinubu praised the combined Search and Rescue effort that led to their recovery.
The police urged anyone with information about the Mbaitoli abduction to contact the nearest police station or use the published emergency lines. Further details are awaited as the rescue operation continues.
