Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The Osun State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has called for urgent action to strengthen security on Nigeria’s highways following the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling to their orientation camps.
The union’s Acting Chairman, Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Asiri Eniba, made the appeal as families continued to seek the safe return of young graduates abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
Oyewale said the incident should serve as a warning to the Federal Government, the NYSC management, state governments and security agencies about the growing risks faced by travellers on major highways.
Some of the affected prospective corps members are reportedly graduates of institutions in Osun State, increasing concern among families and communities in the state.
The abduction occurred on October 1, 2026, when two buses travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom were attacked in Imo State.
The precise number of people abducted remained subject to clarification as of October 4, with security agencies continuing search-and-rescue operations. The Imo State Police Command has said 10 victims were rescued, but it was not immediately clear whether those rescued were among the prospective corps members taken from the buses.
Osun NURTW Raises Alarm Over Highway Insecurity
The Osun NURTW said the incident had heightened anxiety among relatives, friends and communities connected to the affected graduates.
In a statement released on Saturday, Oyewale urged the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify operations aimed at locating the remaining victims and securing their safe release.
He also called for stronger security arrangements along vulnerable highways, arguing that passengers should be able to travel between different parts of Nigeria without fear of abduction.
The union particularly expressed concern about young Nigerians travelling for national service, education and employment.
Oyewale urged authorities to treat highway security as an urgent national responsibility and called on security agencies operating in the area of the abduction to sustain their search efforts.
He also appealed to families of the affected prospective corps members to remain calm while security agencies worked to locate the victims.
The NURTW further urged transport operators and drivers to remain vigilant, particularly when travelling through isolated areas, and to report suspicious movements or unusual activity to security authorities.
How the NYSC Abduction Happened
The victims were travelling from Ibadan towards orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when gunmen reportedly attacked two buses in the Umunoha area of Imo State.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, whose company operates the buses, told Channels Television that the vehicles had departed Ibadan and were delayed during the journey before reaching the Onitsha area.
According to his account, the buses continued their journey the following morning but came under attack after entering Imo State.
Akpan said armed men emerged from the bush, blocked the two vehicles and forced passengers into the surrounding bush.
He said the drivers managed to escape and alerted security personnel, prompting police and military personnel to begin searching for the abductors.
The Imo State Police Command subsequently announced that 10 victims had been rescued and that security agencies were continuing efforts to locate other people who may still be in captivity.
Number of Abducted Corps Members Still Being Clarified
One of the major challenges in reporting the incident has been establishing the exact number of people who were abducted.
The transport company’s account suggested that 19 prospective corps members were taken into the bush.
A reported passenger manifest, however, listed 30 people on the two buses, although authorities had not publicly released a final verified breakdown showing how many passengers were abducted, rescued or escaped.
Channels Television reported that the police had confirmed the rescue of 10 people but that it remained unclear whether those rescued were among the prospective corps members reportedly taken from the buses.
This uncertainty makes it important for authorities to provide a verified account of the incident rather than allowing different figures circulating among families, media organisations and social media users to become treated as established facts.
For families still waiting for their relatives, establishing an accurate list of those missing remains particularly important.
Families Report Ransom Demands
The incident has also raised concerns about ransom demands.
Channels Television reported that some families had received demands of ₦50 million for each abducted passenger.
Parents and relatives who spoke to the broadcaster appealed to the Federal Government and relevant state authorities for assistance in securing the release of their loved ones.
One parent said his son, who had been posted to Abia State for national service, was abducted before reaching his destination.
Another parent said the family had been informed that ₦50 million was being demanded for each victim.
However, the reported ransom figures should be treated carefully.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has also raised concerns over the reported demands but called for the figures to be verified by security agencies and NYSC authorities before they are treated as confirmed.
The distinction is important because ransom claims can change during kidnapping incidents, and families may receive conflicting information while negotiations or rescue operations are taking place.
Security Agencies Continue Rescue Efforts
The Imo State Police Command has said security agencies are pursuing the abductors and conducting a coordinated operation to rescue those still missing.
The situation has, however, become more complicated after security authorities reportedly located a suspected hideout but delayed an immediate advance because of information indicating that the camp had been fitted with improvised explosive devices.
According to The PUNCH, Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso disclosed that operatives had located the suspected camp but could not immediately move against it because of the reported explosive threat.
The development illustrates the risks involved in conducting rescue operations against armed groups operating from remote terrain.
A direct assault on a suspected camp containing abductees can expose both security personnel and hostages to additional danger if explosives have been planted.
For that reason, authorities face the difficult task of balancing speed with the safety of the people they are trying to rescue.
Osun Graduates Among Those Reportedly Affected
The incident has attracted particular attention in Osun because some of the affected prospective corps members are reportedly graduates of institutions in the state.
NANS Southwest Zone D said information available to its leadership indicated that graduates from institutions including the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, and Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, were among those affected.
The association said the victims were travelling because they had been mobilised to participate in the compulsory national service programme.
The reported involvement of graduates from Osun has therefore extended concern beyond the immediate location of the attack in Imo State.
Families in Osun and other parts of the South-West are waiting for official information about the identities and status of those still missing.
The Osun NURTW has now joined calls for stronger security along the routes used by prospective corps members and other travellers.
NANS Calls for NYSC Reform
The abduction has also revived a broader debate about how prospective corps members are deployed across Nigeria.
NANS Southwest Zone D has called for a review of compulsory long-distance postings and urged the government to consider safer state-based or zonal options where security conditions make interstate travel particularly dangerous.
The association also called for organised transportation arrangements for prospective corps members, including accredited transport operators, designated travel corridors, vehicle tracking and closer coordination between NYSC and security agencies during mobilisation periods.
NANS further urged authorities to review postings to remote or high-risk communities and strengthen emergency response mechanisms for corps members.
The student body said the Federal Executive Council had approved reforms to the NYSC scheme in June 2026, including a risk-sensitive deployment framework intended to improve the safety of corps members.
The latest abduction, it argued, demonstrates the need to translate such policy decisions into practical protection for young Nigerians travelling to orientation camps.
Highway Security Has Become a National Concern
The concerns raised by the Osun NURTW come amid a wider pattern of attacks affecting travellers on Nigerian roads.
Prospective corps members are not the only people exposed to the danger.
Commercial drivers, students, traders, workers, families and other passengers regularly use long-distance highways connecting states across the country.
When criminal groups operate around forest corridors and isolated sections of major roads, travellers can become vulnerable to ambushes and abductions.
For transport operators, insecurity also creates additional costs and risks.
Drivers may have to alter travel schedules, avoid certain routes or travel in convoys where possible.
Passengers, meanwhile, may face anxiety over whether they will reach their destinations safely.
The consequences extend beyond individual journeys.
Persistent highway insecurity can affect commerce, inter-state mobility, access to education and employment, and public confidence in the country’s road network.
Previous Kidnapping Concerns Involving Prospective Corps Members
The current incident is not the first time prospective corps members have been targeted while travelling to orientation camps.
Previous reports have documented abductions involving graduates travelling to different parts of the country for national service.
In 2023, for example, eight prospective corps members travelling towards Sokoto were abducted after their vehicle was intercepted in Zamfara State. Some victims were later released at different times, while the NYSC eventually took steps to address their service status.
Other cases have involved prospective corps members travelling through states affected by banditry and kidnapping.
The recurrence of such incidents has prompted calls for greater attention to the security arrangements surrounding the movement of graduates mobilised for national service.
The NYSC scheme requires young Nigerians to travel away from their home states in many cases, meaning the safety of transport routes is closely connected to the success and credibility of the programme.
Why the Osun NURTW Warning Matters
The intervention by the Osun NURTW matters because transport unions are directly connected to the movement of passengers across Nigeria.
Drivers and transport operators often have practical knowledge of road conditions, traffic patterns and areas considered vulnerable to criminal activity.
The union’s call for greater vigilance therefore goes beyond the immediate rescue operation.
It raises a wider question about whether Nigeria’s existing security arrangements adequately protect people travelling on major inter-state highways.
For prospective corps members, the concern is particularly serious because their journeys are connected to a compulsory national programme.
They are not travelling solely for personal reasons. They are responding to an official mobilisation process that requires many of them to travel considerable distances before beginning their service.
Ensuring their safety is therefore an important part of the responsibility surrounding the programme.
Government Faces Pressure for Clear Information
As the rescue operation continues, affected families need accurate and timely information from authorities.
The conflicting figures surrounding the number of abducted persons have already created uncertainty.
Authorities will need to establish who was on the buses, who escaped, who was rescued and who may still be missing.
Clear communication is also important for preventing misinformation and reducing unnecessary anxiety among families.
Where security considerations prevent authorities from releasing operational details, officials can still provide verified updates on the number of people accounted for and the progress of rescue efforts.
The same principle applies to reported ransom demands.
Families should be able to distinguish between verified information from authorities and claims communicated directly by alleged abductors or circulated through informal channels.
What Happens Next
The immediate priority is the safe recovery of anyone still in captivity.
Security agencies are expected to continue search-and-rescue operations while assessing intelligence on the location and activities of the abductors.
The reported presence of explosives at a suspected hideout means that authorities may have to plan any operation carefully to avoid endangering the victims.
The identity and number of those still missing also need to be conclusively established.
For the Osun NURTW, the focus is on strengthening security on major highways and ensuring that transport operators remain vigilant.
For NYSC authorities and the Federal Government, the incident is likely to add pressure for faster implementation of measures designed to make the movement and deployment of prospective corps members safer.
The wider policy debate over long-distance deployment is also likely to continue, particularly among student organisations and families who believe national service should not expose young graduates to avoidable security risks.
A Call for Safe National Service
The abduction of prospective corps members travelling to their orientation camps has transformed what should have been the beginning of a national service journey into a security crisis for affected families.
The Osun NURTW’s warning reflects a concern shared by transport operators, students and families: that major highways must be made safer for ordinary Nigerians.
The immediate priority remains the safe rescue of every person still missing.
Beyond that, however, the incident raises a broader responsibility for government and NYSC authorities.
National service is designed to promote national integration and contribute to Nigeria’s development.
For that objective to remain meaningful, young Nigerians travelling to participate in the programme must be able to reach their destinations without facing unacceptable risks of kidnapping.
The Osun NURTW has called for stronger highway security, while NANS has urged changes to deployment and transportation arrangements.
Those calls now sit alongside the continuing rescue operation in Imo State.
The outcome of that operation will determine the immediate fate of the affected families. But the larger issue will remain: how Nigeria can protect young citizens who are required to travel across the country in the course of national service.
WENG Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
The PUNCH
Channels Television
Vanguard
National Association of Nigerian Students
