Two Buses Carrying NYSC Prospective Corps Members Attacked, Passengers Abducted in Imo

Two Buses Carrying NYSC Prospective Corps Members Attacked, Passengers Abducted in Imo

 

Families panic as gunmen reportedly seize travellers on Owerri–Onitsha Expressway

 

At least two commercial buses carrying passengers, including prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South, were reportedly attacked by gunmen in Imo State on Thursday morning.

 

The incident reportedly occurred along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway, around the Umunoha/No Man’s Land axis of Mbaitoli Local Government Area, at about 5:30am on October 1, 2026, as Nigerians marked the country’s Independence Day.

 

The attackers reportedly intercepted two 18-seater buses and allegedly took the passengers into the bush after robbing them.

 

Videos circulating online showed the two buses abandoned by the roadside, with one reportedly identified as belonging to Uko Akwa Ibom Motors.

 

The passengers were reportedly travelling from Samonda in Ibadan, with some of the prospective corps members heading to NYSC orientation camps in states including Abia, Imo, Enugu and Akwa Ibom.

 

A particularly distressing account came from a woman who said her daughter, identified as Kehinde, was among the prospective corps members travelling to the eastern part of the country.

 

According to the woman, her daughter left Samonda, Ibadan, on Wednesday with other prospective corps members.

 

The family reportedly received a message from her shortly after 6am on Thursday containing the word “kidnapper”, after which her phone became unreachable.

 

The woman appealed for assistance, saying she had been unable to establish contact with her daughter.

 

She also disclosed that the girl’s twin sister, Taiwo, had already arrived in Enugu for her orientation programme.

 

Reports indicate that the group was travelling in three vehicles, with one reportedly escaping while passengers in the other two buses were allegedly abducted.

 

An eyewitness who spoke in a video circulating online said security personnel arrived at the scene after the incident and that soldiers had moved into the bush in an attempt to locate the victims.

 

However, the exact number of people abducted has not been independently established.

 

One report claimed that about 18 prospective corps members were among those kidnapped, but the figure had not been officially confirmed at the time of filing this report.

 

There was also no immediate official confirmation of the incident from the NYSC or the Imo State Police Command.

 

The reported attack has triggered anxiety among families of prospective corps members travelling to various orientation camps, particularly those whose children departed from the Samonda area of Ibadan.

 

The development has also renewed concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling long distances to participate in the NYSC orientation programme.

 

As of the time of publication, there was no confirmed official figure for the number of NYSC prospective corps members or other passengers abducted in the incident, while no confirmed report of their rescue had been established.

 

Newstrends.ng will continue to monitor developments and update this report as official information becomes available.

 

Two Buses Carrying NYSC Prospective Corps Members Attacked, Passengers Abducted in Imo