‘Kidnapper’: NYSC-bound graduate sent chilling one-word warning before her phone went dead

• About 20 prospective NYSC members were reportedly abducted in Imo on October 1.

• Police confirmed 10 victims were rescued and two buses recovered.

• Security agencies are searching for the remaining victims and suspected kidnappers.

For some Nigerian families, October 1 began with the excitement of watching their children start a new chapter after graduation.

By the morning, that excitement had turned into frantic calls and unanswered phones after two buses carrying prospective National Youth Service Corps members were attacked in Imo State.

The incident happened at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, near Umunoha in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area.

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The Imo State Police Command confirmed that two buses travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to Uyo in Akwa Ibom and Bende in Abia State were intercepted by suspected armed men.

NYSC members were among the passengers. An initial report from The Guardian put the number of prospective corps members abducted at about 20.

The transport company later said the two buses were carrying a combined 30 passengers, with 15 people in each vehicle.

According to the company, the 20 passengers abducted were all prospective NYSC members travelling to the Akwa Ibom orientation camp, while the remaining 10 passengers were left behind and subsequently conveyed safely to the camp.

However, the police have not confirmed that figure. Police spokesperson DSP Henry Okoye said in an official statement on X that the exact number of people taken was still being established.

What the police have confirmed is that 10 victims were rescued after security agencies responded to the attack, while both buses were recovered. The rescued victims are safe and receiving attention, according to the police.

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Security agencies have since launched a search operation for those still missing. Tactical teams have been deployed, while operatives are using intelligence-led tracking to locate the suspected kidnappers.

Imo Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, also visited the scene with other security commanders to assess the situation and direct the operation.

One parent shared in a Facebook video that her daughter, who was travelling to an orientation camp, had been sharing her location with the family on WhatsApp.

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Shortly after 6 a.m., the daughter reportedly sent a single chilling word — “kidnapper” — before her phone became unreachable. Police have not independently confirmed the account.

The incident occurred as prospective corps members were travelling to begin the 2026 Batch C Stream I orientation exercise.

The attack has renewed concerns about the safety of young graduates travelling across the country to report for NYSC orientation, particularly after another highway abduction involving corps members in Kogi State in August.

For now, the police say the operation will continue until the remaining victims are located, while the identities of the suspected attackers and the final number of people abducted remain unconfirmed.