Atiku urges action to free abducted travellers in Imo State

Prospective National Youth Service Corps members and other travellers were abducted in Imo State on October 1, and some have been rescued, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said, urging authorities to secure the release of those still held. The number remaining in captivity is not clear from the accounts available. Gunmen attacked two commercial buses on the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area, according to reports. The passengers were travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. Atiku said 20 travellers, including prospective corps members, were abducted and that some had since been rescued. The Imo State Police Command reported that 10 victims had been rescued and that the buses were recovered. However, the evidence available does not establish how many people remain captive or reconcile the police rescue figure with accounts from families that all 20 prospective corps members were held. Police and security agencies were reported to be continuing search and rescue efforts.