Police Deploy DIG, Two Commissioners To Rescue 20 Abducted NYSC Prospective Corps Members

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has deployed senior officers to Imo State to coordinate the search for 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.

The victims reportedly disappeared on October 1, 2026, after armed men attacked travellers around the Umunoha axis of the highway.

Disu directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, to take charge of the rescue operation and provide fresh operational direction.

Nadada arrived in Imo with two Commissioners of Police and immediately assessed the incident and measures already taken by the state command.

The DIG reviewed the deployment of personnel, operational assets and strategies guiding the search before issuing further directives to strengthen the operation.

He carried out the assessment with the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Operations, Akpan Anifiok.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force, other service commanders and members of the Imo State Police Command management team also joined the assessment.

Following the review, the police deployed additional tactical teams and operational resources to areas identified as relevant to the search.

The force also intensified intelligence-led tracking to locate the abductors and establish the whereabouts of the victims.

“The police are working in close coordination with sister security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted persons and the apprehension of the perpetrators,” the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, said in the statement.

Nadada assured Nigerians that the police would sustain the operation until they rescued the abducted persons.

He also appealed to residents and other members of the public to remain calm and vigilant while security agencies pursue the rescue effort.

The DIG urged anyone with credible information about the victims or their abductors to contact the police or the nearest security formation.

He assured members of the public that authorities would protect the confidentiality of information provided to assist the operation.

The Nigeria Police Force said it would issue further updates as the search-and-rescue operation progresses.