By Ajibola Olaide,
TEN PROSPECTIVE National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have been rescued after gunmen attacked two commercial buses along the Owerri Onitsha Road in Imo State, with security agencies continuing operations to locate any remaining victims and apprehend the suspects.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the attack occurred at about 6:30am on Thursday, October 1, near Umonuwa village in Mbaise Local Government Area (LGA), as the buses conveyed prospective corps members and other passengers from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
The Imo State Police Command (ISPC) said tactical teams and other security agencies launched a coordinated search and rescue operation after receiving reports of the abduction.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Henry Okoye, said the rescued victims were safe and receiving attention, while the exact number of people abducted was being verified.
The Command said the two buses were travelling to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively, when suspected armed men attacked them near Umunoha.
The Nigerian Army (TNA) also said troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade under Operation UDO KA rescued 10 young Nigerians abducted from the two buses.
The operation involved collaboration with the Nigerian Navy (NN), Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Department of State Services (DSS).
The rescued prospective corps members were subsequently handed over to the DSS for debriefing, profiling and further assistance.
Initial reports placed the number of abducted prospective corps members at about 30, with a manifest from the two buses listing 15 passengers in each vehicle.
The police, however, said the exact number remained subject to confirmation during the initial response.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, said the buses operated by his company had left Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday.
He said traffic around Benin, Edo State, delayed their journey before the buses reached Onitsha, Anambra State.
Akpan said the drivers and passengers spent the night in Oba because of the condition of the road and resumed their journey at about 5am on Thursday.
He said gunmen emerged from the bush shortly after the buses entered Imo State, blocked the vehicles and took the passengers into the bush.
The drivers reportedly escaped and alerted security personnel at a nearby checkpoint, prompting security agencies to begin a search operation.
Reports also indicated that some of the abductors contacted victims’ families and demanded ransom.
Akpan said the attackers demanded N50 million for each of 19 victims, while another report put the total ransom demand at N950 million.
A parent of one of the victims, who asked not to be named, said the abductors contacted her through her son’s phone and demanded N50 million for his release.
Another mother, Mrs. Oladosu, said the kidnappers contacted her family through her daughter Greatness’ phone. She said the family saw Greatness and other victims during a video call.
“They used my daughter’s number to call us. We saw her and other corps members sitting on the ground in the bush, crying. Where will petty traders get N50m? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?” she said.
Mrs. Alimotu Akanke, the mother of another victim, Akande Farouq, said her son, who was posted to Abia State, sent the word “Kidnappers!” to the family WhatsApp Group before his phone line went dead.
One of the victims was identified as Precious Oladipupo, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
Social media users also appealed for assistance for Wahab Ayandare and Oyindamola Adeoye, who were reportedly among those abducted.
The Oyo State Government condemned the incident and said it was communicating with relevant security agencies, the Imo State Government and NYSC leadership.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed that all necessary resources be deployed to secure the victims’ safe return.
“We are fully committed to securing the safe release of our children and will stop at nothing to ensure that they are reunited with their families without harm,” the statement said.
Image credit: Nextreporter News
Also, JKNewsMedia.com reports 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 affected section of the Owerri Onitsha Expressway has since been reopened, with traffic flowing normally while security personnel remain deployed to protect commuters.
The police 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.
Security agencies have continued operations in the area, with intelligence-led tracking aimed at locating the remaining victims and apprehending those responsible.
The Command urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the rescue operation. It said all information would be treated in confidence and that further updates would be issued as the operation progresses.
The incident follows the abduction of 15 prospective corps members along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Kogi State in August, after which security forces rescued the victims.
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