A chilling WhatsApp message reading simply “Kidnapper” marks the final contact from fresh graduates travelling from Ibadan to their orientation camps.
OWERRI — Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations turned into a national nightmare on October 1, 2026, as armed gunmen intercepted commercial transport vehicles and abducted at least 20 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members alongside other travelers along the volatile Owerri–Onitsha Road.
The mass abduction took place near the Umunoha community in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, sending shockwaves across the country and plunging families into agonizing uncertainty.
According to eyewitnesses and preliminary reports, the victims—including fresh university graduates and other commuters—had boarded buses belonging to Uko Akwa Ibom Motors from the Samonda park in Ibadan, Oyo State. They were traveling to various orientation camps across the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones, including Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Imo, and Abia states.
A Single Word That Froze a Family
The terrifying reality of the ambush broke through a family WhatsApp group. A distraught mother recounted how her twin daughters had left Ibadan for camp, with one safely arriving in Enugu. However, her other daughter, Kehinde, who was headed to Akwa Ibom, sent a spine-chilling message to their family chat just past 6:00 a.m.
The message contained only one word: “Kidnapper.”
Moments later, all phone lines to the victim went dead. “Since past 6 a.m., I have not been able to hear from my child… Please, federal government, help us. I only have the two of them,” the weeping mother pleaded, calling on security authorities to intervene.
Distraught relatives have since converged on the Ibadan motor park, desperately seeking information as viral videos surfaced online showing abandoned commercial buses left empty by the roadside, their drivers and passengers vanished into the surrounding forests.
Police Launch Manhunt
Confirming the incident, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, stated that the command has verified the abduction of at least 20 NYSC members.
Okoye disclosed that the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, personally visited the crime scene to assess the tactical situation. A specialized Rapid Response Team has been deployed, and security operatives are aggressively combing surrounding bushes to track down the outlaws and secure the unconditional release of the victims.
As anxiety mounts nationwide over the safety of youth service members on transit highways, families continue to keep vigil, praying for a safe return for the young citizens who only set out to serve their fatherland.
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