The Imo State Police Command has rescued 10 people abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, following an attack on buses conveying National Youth Service Corps members and other passengers.
According to Channels Television, the incident occurred at about 6:30am on Thursday, October 1, 2026, near Umunoha.
Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, said the command deployed tactical teams and other operational assets for a coordinated search-and-rescue operation after two buses came under attack.
“The rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to,” the police said, adding that the exact number of people abducted was still being verified.
The buses were reportedly travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to Uyo in Akwa Ibom State and Bende in Abia State, carrying NYSC corps members heading to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
The incident followed an earlier report that 20 corps members had been abducted along the route.
The police said tactical teams were continuing intelligence-led operations to locate the suspected abductors and secure the release of any remaining victims.
The Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, alongside other service commanders, visited the scene to assess the situation and provide operational direction.
The affected section of the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway has since been reopened, with traffic flowing normally. Security personnel have also remained deployed in the area to protect commuters.
The police said it was working with the NYSC directorate to contact the families of affected corps members and keep them updated.
It urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the ongoing operation, assuring that such information would be treated confidentially.
The incident comes weeks after security forces rescued 15 corps members and six other people abducted in Kogi State.
