IGP Disu Deploys DIG, Two CPs to Imo as Police Intensify Search for Abducted NYSC Prospective Corps Members.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate an intensified search and rescue operation following the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The deployment followed an attack on two buses near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The buses were transporting prospective corps members and other passengers from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards Uyo in Akwa Ibom State and Bende in Abia State. The Imo State Police Command said 10 victims were rescued after security personnel responded to the attack, while the exact number of people abducted was initially being verified.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, said DIG Nadada arrived in Imo with two Commissioners of Police and conducted an on the spot assessment of the incident and the ongoing rescue efforts. The assessment involved the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Operations, CP Akpan Anifiok, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force and other security commanders.
According to the police, the operation has been reinforced with additional tactical teams and operational assets deployed to identified areas. Intelligence-led tracking is also being used to locate the suspected abductors and rescue those still missing, while the police continue to coordinate with other security agencies. DIG Nadada assured the public that the police would sustain the operation until the abducted persons are safely recovered.
The incident has raised renewed concerns about the security of graduates travelling across state lines for NYSC orientation programmes. Earlier reports from The Guardian noted that families of prospective corps members were thrown into uncertainty following the attack, while News reported the police confirmation of the abduction and the rescue of 10 victims.
Authorities have urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant and to provide credible information that could assist the rescue operation. The police said information supplied to security agencies would be treated confidentially, with further updates expected as the operation progresses.
![Subscribe to Obaland Magazine](<a href="/advertise"> <img src="https://yourwebsite.com/path-to-ad.jpg" alt="Advertise with us" width="300" height="250"> </a>){kind=link}