How security operatives rescued 20 NYSC members abducted in Imo
NYSC
Gov Uzodinma hails security agencies over rescue of kidnapped Corps members
The 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway on Thursday, October 1, have been rescued.
Spokesperson of Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Anietie Iniedu, said in a statement that the operation that led to the rescue was carried out by a joint team of operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS), military and the police.
The statement reads: “The victims were rescued on 7th October 2026 at Amakohia Ubi Village, Imo State, following sustained search-and-rescue operations. They have since been taken for medical assessment and necessary care.
“Efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for the abduction, as the Police and other security agencies sustain coordinated operations towards bringing all culpable persons to justice.
“The Nigeria Police Force appreciates members of the public for their cooperation and support and remains committed to the protection of lives and property, prompt response to security threats and continued collaboration with sister security agencies.”
Meanwhile, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has commended security agencies for their prompt intervention in securing the safe release of 20 prospective corps members kidnapped on the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway on October 1.
In a statement he personally issued in Owerri, on Wednesday, Uzodimma expressed delight over the “patriotism and inter-agency collaboration that ensured the victims were rescued unharmed”.
“I am particularly grateful to the security agencies for the discreet and collaborative manner in which they tackled the challenge to ensure the captives were saved,” he stated.
He also applauded the joint efforts between the Oyo and Imo State Governments, while thanking the parents of the victims “for their patience and fortitude during the trying period”.
The governor urged Nigerians to maintain faith in the Federal Government and security forces in their current efforts to overcome national security challenges across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the prospective corps members and other travellers were abducted by yet-to-be-identified gunmen around 6:00 a.m. within the Umunoha axis of the busy expressway.
The victims were travelling in two branded commercial buses from Lagos and Ibadan towards Uyo and Bende (Abia), when hoodlums intercepted their vehicles and forcefully marched them into the forest.
