Controversy has continued to surround the reported rescue of some prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted by gunmen in Imo State, following conflicting accounts from security agencies and relatives of the victims.
The prospective corps members were among passengers travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when two commercial buses were attacked along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on October 1, 2026.
Initial reports from the Imo State Police Command said 10 passengers were rescued after the attack, while the exact number of people still in captivity was being verified. The police said security agencies had launched coordinated search-and-rescue operations to locate the remaining victims and apprehend the attackers.
The Defence Headquarters subsequently said 20 passengers had been abducted from the buses, while 10 others were rescued. According to the military account, eight of those rescued were prospective NYSC members.
However, relatives of the missing prospective corps members have disputed the security agencies’ description of the operation, insisting that the 10 passengers described as rescued may have escaped from the attackers themselves rather than being freed by security personnel.
The conflicting accounts have created uncertainty over what actually happened immediately after the attack and the precise number of victims who remain in captivity.
Families of the missing corps members have continued to maintain that 20 prospective corps members remain with the kidnappers. Reports on Monday indicated that the abductors had demanded a ransom, with one account putting the original demand at N50 million per victim before it was reportedly reduced to N5 million each, bringing the total demand to N100 million.
The controversy comes as security agencies intensify efforts to locate the victims and rescue them safely. The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, said security operatives had used drone surveillance to locate a suspected camp where the abducted persons were believed to be held.
According to Bosso, however, security personnel could not immediately move into the identified location because intelligence indicated that the camp had been planted with improvised explosive devices.
The police commissioner said operatives were preparing to use additional equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to enable them to approach the location while minimising the risk to the hostages and security personnel.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation.
Nadada assured the families that security agencies were working to secure the safe release of their relatives and appealed to them to cooperate with the authorities during the operation.
The incident has generated growing anxiety among the families of the victims, with some relatives publicly appealing to the Federal Government and the Imo State Government to intervene and ensure that the abducted youths are brought home safely.
Some relatives have also alleged that the victims have been receiving ransom demands from the kidnappers, adding to concerns over their safety and wellbeing while in captivity.
The development has also attracted wider public concern because the victims were prospective corps members travelling to commence national service, rather than people involved in any criminal or security-related activity.
The latest incident is also not the first reported abduction involving corps members travelling to or from NYSC orientation camps. Earlier in 2026, other corps members were reportedly abducted along Nigerian highways, highlighting the security risks faced by young Nigerians travelling for national service.
The Igbo National Council has called on security agencies to make greater use of local vigilantes and other community-based security structures in the search for the abducted corps members.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also condemned the abduction on Monday and called on the Federal and Imo State governments, as well as security agencies, to urgently secure the release of those still in captivity.
Meanwhile, the National Youth Service Corps has faced criticism over its response to the incident, with reports questioning the organisation’s public communication concerning the abduction and the condition of the affected families.
For now, the conflicting accounts over the alleged rescue remain unresolved. While the police and military have confirmed that some passengers were freed following the attack, relatives continue to insist that the 20 prospective corps members were taken into captivity and are yet to regain their freedom.
Security agencies have continued their search operations in the forests around the suspected hideout, while authorities have yet to announce the successful rescue of the remaining victims.
The families of the abducted prospective corps members are therefore still awaiting confirmation of their safe release as security agencies continue efforts to locate the captives and bring the abduction to an end.
