Gunmen have abducted 20 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) travelling to orientation camps along Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the incident occurred on Thursday morning around Umunoha community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state, as Nigeria marked its 66th Independence Anniversary.
The victims were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, to different NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when the gunmen intercepted them.
An earlier account said two 18-seater buses travelling from Lagos towards Anambra were attacked at about 5:30am. The passengers were reportedly robbed before being taken into the bush.
Videos from the scene showed the two buses abandoned on the road, with one bearing the inscription “Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nig. Ltd.”
A woman whose daughter was among the travellers also appealed for help after losing contact with her. She said her daughter had left Samonda in Ibadan with other corps members and contacted the family shortly after 6am before her phone became unreachable.
The Imo State Police Command later confirmed that 20 corps members were abducted in the incident.
The police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, said Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
He added that security operatives were combing surrounding bushes while a Rapid Response Team had been deployed to track the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the victims.
The incident comes weeks after security agencies rescued corps members and other passengers who were abducted after gunmen attacked vehicles along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Kogi State.
