Imo Police Say 10 Rescued After Bus Abduction

The Imo State Police Command said gunmen abducted passengers from two buses near Umunoha on the Owerri-Onitsha Road on Thursday, October 1, and that 10 people were rescued at the scene. Police said the number of people still in captivity had not been confirmed and search operations were continuing. The buses were travelling from Ibadan toward orientation camps in Akwa Ibom and Abia states, carrying prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other passengers, according to a statement from the command. The attack occurred at about 6:30 a.m. in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, police said. The command said rescued passengers were receiving care. It reported that police and other security agencies were conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations and tracking the suspected abductors. The police commissioner and other service commanders visited the scene, according to the statement. The command said it was working with NYSC authorities to contact families of affected corps members. Earlier accounts placed the attack at about 5:30 a.m., but police gave a time of about 6:30 a.m.; the available reports did not reconcile the difference.