Obi condemns abduction of 20 NYSC members, demands immediate rescue
Peter Obi
Abdullateef Fowewe
Former Anambra State governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned the abduction of approximately 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State, calling it further evidence of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Obi wrote, “The abduction of approximately 20 prospective NYSC members travelling to their orientation camp is yet another distressing indication of the worsening insecurity in our country. These young Nigerians were preparing to serve their nation, but they were unable to travel safely on our roads. Families are increasingly burdened by the fear that their loved ones could fall victim to kidnapping.”
He stressed that protecting lives and property remains the government’s primary responsibility, adding, “We cannot continue to regard insecurity as an ordinary occurrence or act only after people’s lives have been disrupted.”
Obi called for “the immediate and safe rescue of all the abducted corps members and the arrest of those responsible,” concluding that “Nigeria must become a country where young people can travel, work, and serve their nation without fear.”
The victims were travelling in two buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
Parents and transport operators have reported that about 20 prospective corps members remain in captivity, with kidnappers demanding as much as N50 million per victim (totalling around N1 billion).
Some earlier claims of rescues have been disputed by families, who say a number of passengers escaped into the bush rather than being freed by security forces.
As of Sunday, Imo State Police Commissioner Audu Bosso said operatives had used drones to locate the kidnappers’ camp but could not immediately move in because intelligence indicated the site was mined with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Security agencies are preparing heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured vehicles, while the Inspector-General of Police has deployed senior officers, including a Deputy Inspector-General, to coordinate the rescue effort.
