Panic and Outrage: IGP Deploys Top Brass as Gunmen Demand N950M Ransom for Abducted NYSC Members in Imo

On October 1, a distressing incident unfolded along the Owerri-Onitsha Road at Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo State, where at least 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, along with other passengers, were abducted. The victims were ambushed and forced into the bush by gunmen while traveling in two buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. The managing director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, whose company operated the vehicles, confirmed the abduction and the subsequent ransom demand.

According to Akpan, the buses had departed from Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan but experienced significant delays due to heavy traffic around Benin City, Edo State. This forced the passengers and drivers to spend the night in Oba, Anambra State, before resuming their journey at approximately 5:00 AM the following day. Shortly after entering Imo State, the vehicles were blocked by gunmen who emerged from a nearby bush. The attackers took 19 passengers, all prospective corps members, into the bush. The drivers managed to escape and promptly alerted security operatives at a nearby checkpoint, prompting an immediate search operation. Initial efforts to recover the abandoned buses were reportedly hampered by some villagers.

The abductors have since contacted some of the victims' families, demanding a ransom of N50 million for each of the 19 prospective corps members, bringing the total ransom sought to N950 million. This demand has intensified anxiety among the families as security agencies work to locate and rescue the abducted individuals.

In response to the incident, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, has deployed top police chiefs to Imo State to lead an aggressive search-and-rescue operation. Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Shehu Nadada, in-charge of Operations, was immediately dispatched to Owerri to take over tactical operations. DIG Nadada arrived in Imo State with two Commissioners of Police to conduct an on-the-spot assessment and review the deployment of operational assets across identified criminal hideouts. This tactical assessment was carried out in collaboration with the Imo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Audu Bosso, the Federal Operations chief, Mr. Akpan Anifiok, and other commanders. The search-and-rescue efforts have been significantly intensified with additional deployments of tactical teams and intelligence-led tracking of the suspects. The Nigeria Police Force has assured the public of its unwavering commitment to securing the safe rescue of all 20 abducted persons (as per police statements) and apprehending the perpetrators, appealing to residents and media to remain calm and share credible information confidentially.

The abduction has reignited calls for a re-evaluation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. Fiery human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called for the immediate suspension and eventual scrapping of the NYSC. Sowore asserted that the scheme has "outlived its usefulness in its present form," arguing that the country cannot guarantee the safety of young Nigerians forced to travel across increasingly insecure territories for national service. He proposed that, in the interim, corps members should be allowed to serve within their states of origin. Sowore further stated that under a potential "Sowore presidency," the NYSC would be replaced with a two-year voluntary National Job Corps, focusing on real employment, skills development, public works, technology, agriculture, healthcare, and education, emphasizing that young Nigerians need jobs, opportunities, skills, and security, not compulsory deployment into danger.

This incident underscores persistent concerns over insecurity on major highways across Nigeria, where travelers frequently face attacks, kidnappings, and ransom demands by armed criminal groups.