Funminews | 5 October 2026
Families, rights advocates and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have renewed demands for the safe release of prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State, as police say suspected explosives at the captors’ hideout have complicated rescue efforts. On Monday, Atiku urged federal and state authorities to bring those still being held home safely.
The attack occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, 1 October, near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, along the Owerri to Onitsha Road. Gunmen intercepted two commercial buses carrying graduates and other passengers from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The number still held has not been conclusively established. Families have reported 20 abducted prospective corps members, while another account put the figure at 19. Police initially announced that 10 passengers had been rescued and both buses recovered, but relatives disputed the rescue account, saying those passengers escaped into the bush. These differences remain unresolved.
Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso said intelligence gathering and drone surveillance had helped officers locate the suspected hideout. However, he said information suggesting the area contained improvised explosive devices prevented an immediate advance. The explosives claim is attributed to police and has not been independently confirmed.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Shehu Umar Nadada, deployed to coordinate the operation, said additional personnel and equipment were being provided. He appealed for families’ cooperation while acknowledging their distress. Oyo State Information Commissioner Dotun Oyelade also said his government was working with Imo authorities and security agencies to secure the graduates’ release.
For relatives, the uncertainty is compounded by ransom demands. Families said the captors reduced their demand from N50 million to N5 million per person, amounting to N100 million for the 20 people they say are held. Relatives also alleged that victims were being assaulted. Those accounts have not been independently verified, and the reported reduction has brought no confirmed release.
Mrs Oladosu, whose daughter Greatness was travelling to Uyo, described receiving a video call showing her daughter and other captives sitting in the bush and crying. “Where will petty traders get N50 million?” she asked in a televised interview, referring to the initial demand. Her account illustrates the financial pressure facing families whose children had set out to begin national service.
Parents took their appeal to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija residence on Saturday. Separately, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, led by Emmanuel Onwubiko, called for specialist rescue personnel and regular communication with families, while warning against an assault that could endanger hostages. Friends and relatives have also sought assistance online; their appeals should not be treated as a measure of nationwide opinion.
The abduction recalls the case of eight prospective corps members seized in Zamfara State on 17 August 2023 while travelling to orientation camp. NYSC announced in August 2024 that all eight had been rescued following releases over several months. That earlier ordeal underscores the potential consequences for graduates and families when journeys to national service end in captivity.
As of the reports reviewed on 5 October, there was no confirmation that all those still held in the Imo attack had regained their freedom. The immediate concerns remain their safety, an accurate account of who is missing, and dependable updates for relatives awaiting news of children who left home to serve.
