The Abduction Of The NYSC Members Along Owerri-Onitsha Highway And Matters Arising, by Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

On October 1, 2026 when Nigerians were warming for the 66^th independent anniversary, even though there was nothing to celebrate, the news came that 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members traveling in a convoy of two buses from Samonda, Ibadan to the orientation camps in Bende, Abia and Uyo, Akwa-Ibom States were abducted along the Owerri–Onitsha Highway around 6:30 AM. The incident occurred in Umunoha community in Mbaitoli Local government Area of Imo State. The media report had it while 20 corps members were abducted, 10 others narrowly escaped the bandits and fled into the bush and were rescued later by security operatives who were reported to have commenced operation to track down the kidnappers and rescue the remaining kidnapped victims.

As I am writing this essay, the news filtered in that the kidnapped victims have been released. They regained their freedom today, Wednesday, October 7, 2026 after being in captivity in the kidnappers den for 7 days. They were released along with one other person who is said to be the driver of one of the buses conveying the corps members when the abduction incident happened. The police authorities reported that the victims were rescued from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State during a coordinated operation by security agencies. And thereafter, the rescued victims were taken to the Department of Security Services (DSS) Hospital in Owerri for medical examination and attention.

The release of the kidnapped victims came after the families made ransom payments to the abductors according to information from the families of the victims. The kidnappers had initially demanded N50 million per person but reduced the ransom demand after intense negotiations with the victims’ families, allowing the families of the victims to pay between N3 million and N6 million for the release of their children. But, the Imo State Police Command has denied being aware of any ransom payment to the kidnappers claiming that that the 20 prospective corps members were freed due to sustained security pressure and tactical drone operations. And this claim sounds fictitious to many. If the release of the corps members came from the efforts of the security operatives, how come none of the alleged kidnappers was arrested during the rescue operation?

The safety of Nigerian youths on national youth service has become a major cause for concern among parents and Nigerians at large as the abduction and sometimes killing of corps members are rising to an unacceptable degree. Apart from this abduction incident along the Onitsha–Owerri highway, there have been at least 6 major recorded incidents where National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were abducted across Nigeria since 2023 when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power. And some of the cases are highlighted below.

In May, 2023, a total of 12 corps members who have completed their orientation program in Ondo State were traveling in a commercial bus to Port-Harcourt when they were attacked by kidnappers along the Rumuji axis of the East-West Road in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. During the ambush, 7 corps members were abducted and held in captivity for 7 days until they were rescued while 5 managed to escape into the nearby bush and reported the incident to the Rumuji Divisional Police Station. Also, on Thursday August 17, 2023, 8 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) traveling in an Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to Sokoto for their mandatory orientation exercise were ambushed by suspected terrorists along Funtua-Gusau Highway in Zamfara State. And it took about one year for the last member of the abducted victims to be rescued.

In 2024, there were unfortunate incidences of abduction of corps members. First was the case of Esther Otegiri, a serving corps member traveling back to her place of primary assignment in Benue from Edo State in January, 2024 after the Christmas break, when she was kidnapped in Otukpo along the Enugu-Benue Highway. She was eventually released after her uncle negotiated and paid the ransom amount with the kidnappers. Again, on March 29, 2024 a serving NYSC member together with 8 other passengers including a naval rating were intercepted and abducted by gun men along the Ughelli-Patani axis of the East-West Road in Delta State. Three days later on April 1, 2024, they were rescued by a joint military force codenamed Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) under the command of Rear Admiral John Okeke, deployed to the Niger Delta. This time, the suspected kidnappers numbering about 10 people were arrested.

And in this year, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026 barely one month before the Owerri-Onitsha Highway incident, armed bandits struck along Ofu/Itobe-Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State abducting 15 NYSC members returning to Abuja after completing their mandatory three-week orientation program at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA in Bayelsa State, together with several other passengers. The victims were rescued after 5 days of joint military operation. Again, as in the other cases while the military were celebrating a successful rescue operation, the relatives of the victims revealed that they paid ransom before their children were released to them by the abductors.

In all the cases listed here, it is only in one instance that the abductors were arrested. And, there is always the issue of the security operatives claiming victory for the release of the victims whereas the relatives of the victims would counter it saying that they paid ransom to secure the release of their abducted relations. This is troubling. The kidnappers are emboldened to continue in this ignoble act because they have always succeeded in receiving the ransom payments otherwise they wouldn’t dare take the risk. The government and the security operatives have failed the nation in this regard.

Indeed, the abductions of NYSC corps have regularly occurred across states from the East, West and North and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Bandits in the far North, the North-Central and the southern region have frequently ambushed commercial buses transporting young graduates across the states. And this is giving a very wrong signal with many questioning why the NYSC scheme should continue when the federal government cannot guarantee the security of the youths on national assignment. These recurring incidents have sparked intense national debate regarding the security of the NYSC scheme and have prompted repeated calls for the NYSC to stop posting graduates to regions heavily affected by insecurity.

Clearly, the present government is nonchalant about providing security, one of the basic functions of the every government, to the citizens. And unless something drastic happens, this ugly security trend will continue. Nigerians, you have to stop this unsavory security situation with your votes. You must vote and ensure that your votes count. This is my message to you! Long live Nigeria!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK.