BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have hijacked two 18-seater buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on Thursday, kidnapping dozens of passengers in a brazen early-morning ambush that targeted some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members traveling across states.
Reports indicated that the Independence Day journey turned into a nightmare when the criminal elements intercepted the fully loaded buses on the Expressway and dragged scores of travelers into the bush.
It was reliably gathered that the victims were en route from Ibadan to placement destinations in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, when the attackers suddenly swooped on the vehicles at the Umunoha axis in the Mbaitolu Local Government Area of Imo State, completely catching the travelers off guard.
According to local sources, the heavily armed gunmen quickly marched the passengers into the dense nearby bush in an operation which took place just minutes before security forces arrived at the scene, scrambling to track the captors.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, who confirmed the unfortunate incident, said the Command, in liaison with other security agencies have deployed tactical teams and operational assets to rescue the victims.
According to him, the buses have been recovered and the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, has already undertaken an on-the-spot assessment of the incident scene.
A statement issued by DSP Okoye further said: “The Imo State Police Command, led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has deployed tactical teams and operational assets to rescue the abducted corps members and other passengers and to arrest the suspected abductors.
“The incident occurred at about 0630hrs on 1st October, 2026, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, by Umunoha. Two buses conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively, were attacked by suspected armed men.
“Following a swift response by the Police and other security agencies, both buses have been recovered and 10 victims were rescued at the scene. 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”, adding that: “Operatives are conducting coordinated search and rescue operations, backed by intelligence-led tracking of the suspects.”
He said the State Commissioner of Police, alongside other Service Commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to give operational direction, assuring the public that the Command will sustain the operation until all victims are safely recovered and the suspects are brought to justice.
The Command Spokesperson also disclosed that: “The Command is working with the NYSC Directorate to reach the families of the affected corps members, who will be kept informed as the situation develops”..
Meanwhile, some local residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, volunteered that the once-quiet stretches of the highway have transformed into a haunting theatre of fear, where brazen kidnappers routinely ambush travelers and barter human lives for heavy cash payouts before granting them freedom after days, weeks or even several months in captivity.
Forefront News reliably learnt that about three weeks ago, this grim reality struck a father and his young daughter when ruthless bandits dragged them into the shadowed expanse of the same corridor, holding them captive until desperate relatives scraped together an eye-watering N29 million ransom for their eventual release.
