The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation for 20 abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps members and other passengers. The victims were abducted on Thursday, 1 October 2026, around Umunoha, Imo State, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road. Nadada arrived in the state with two Commissioners of Police, including CP Audu Garba Bosso of the Imo State Command and CP Akpan Anifiok of Federal Operations. The team conducted an on-the-spot assessment and reviewed operational strategies, personnel deployment and operational assets.
The kidnappers have demanded ₦50 million per victim, according to reports. For 19 corps members, that amounts to ₦950 million. The National Association of Nigerian Students, Southwest Zone D, raised the alarm over the ransom demand, saying it had received reports and seen fundraising appeals suggesting as much as ₦50 million was being demanded for each victim. “If confirmed, it would be completely unacceptable for families whose children were kidnapped while travelling for national service to be left to crowd-fund tens of millions of naira to secure their freedom,” NANS said. The students’ body called on the Federal Government to review compulsory long-distance postings and introduce safer deployment and transportation arrangements.
The Imo State Police Commissioner, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed that security operatives had located the kidnappers’ hideout using drones. But the rescue operation has been delayed by intelligence indicating the area was heavily mined with improvised explosive devices. “Yesterday we were in the bush; we trailed them up to a particular location. But at that point in time, we couldn’t move in to where the coordinates showed us where they are,” Bosso said. “Our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs.” Security forces are preparing to deploy heavy equipment, including high-velocity vehicles, bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to gain access to the area. The Defence Headquarters said 20 passengers were abducted from two buses, while 10 passengers, including eight identified prospective corps members, had been rescued.
This mirrors the pattern of violence against corps members that has persisted for over a decade. A 2023 report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism revealed that at least 80 corps members were abducted between 2013 and 2023, with Rivers State accounting for half of the cases. The abduction underscores the failure of the risk-sensitive deployment framework approved by the Federal Executive Council in June 2026 as part of NYSC reforms. That framework, which includes a technology-driven call-up process and risk-sensitive deployment, remains on paper.
Winners and Losers
Winners: The kidnappers, who have turned the compulsory national service programme into a revenue stream. NANS, which has amplified the plight of the victims and demanded reform.
Losers: The 19 abducted corps members, who were travelling to fulfil a mandatory national obligation. Their families, who face an impossible demand of ₦950 million. The NYSC, which has failed to protect the graduates it conscripts. The Federal Government, whose approved reforms have not translated into safer deployment.
Bottom Line: A country cannot summon its youths and abandon their security. The NYSC was established in 1973 to promote national integration. Fifty-three years later, it is putting young Nigerians in harm’s way.