Following the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to lead tactical operations and coordinate search-and-rescue efforts.
​The victims were traveling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom States when gunmen ambushed their vehicle around the Umunoha axis in Mbaitoli Local Government Area along the Owerri-Onitsha Highway on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
​The announcement of DIG Nadada’s deployment was disclosed in a formal statement issued on Saturday, October 3, 2026, by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Anietie Iniedu.
​Upon arriving in Owerri alongside senior operational commanders, including the Commissioner of Police for Federal Operations, Akpan Anifiok, and the CP in charge of the Police Mobile Force, DIG Nadada immediately conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the ambush venue and surrounding forest corridors.
​The DIG met with key stakeholders and security chiefs at the Imo State Police Command Headquarters in Owerri. During the operational briefing, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, provided a detailed breakdown of initial responses, intelligence gathering, and tracking efforts currently being executed across identified criminal hideouts.
​The spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, ASP Henry Okoye, had earlier confirmed that initial operations led to the rescue of some passengers, but joint tactical squads are maintaining pressure in the bush to secure the unconditional release of the remaining 20 prospective corps members and other abductees unharmed.
​Speaking during his operational review in Imo State, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada assured the public and affected families that the Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with sister security agencies and the NYSC Directorate, is deploying all available technological and human assets to trace the abductors.
​”The Force remains resolute in its mandate to guarantee the safety of all citizens, particularly young Nigerians serving our nation through the NYSC scheme. We are intensifying intelligence-led tracking, and no effort will be spared until every single victim is rescued safely and those behind this act are brought to justice.” Shehu Umar Nadada declared.
​Police authorities have appealed to residents of Imo State, particularly communities along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, to remain calm, stay vigilant, and report any suspicious movements or useful information to the nearest police station or via official emergency hotlines.
