The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has deployed senior police officers to Imo State to lead an intensified search-and-rescue operation for 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Owerri on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
According to the statement, Disu directed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (GIG) in-charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, to immediately take over tactical operations in the state following the October 1 highway ambush.
The victims, alongside other passengers, were reportedly ambushed and forced into the bush at Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Nadada arrived in Imo with two Commissioners of Police for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and a review of operational deployments across identified criminal hideouts.
The assessment was conducted in collaboration with the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso; the Federal Operations chief, Akpan Anifiok; and other senior commanders.
The police said additional tactical teams had been deployed as part of efforts to locate the abducted persons and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
The force also said intelligence-led tracking of the suspects had been intensified as security operatives continued to comb areas identified as possible locations where the victims may have been taken.
The DIG assured residents that the police remained committed to securing the safe release of all 20 victims and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“The Nigeria Police Force is fully committed to securing the safe rescue of the abducted persons and will sustain this operation until conclusion,” the statement said.
The police appealed to residents to remain calm and urged members of the public to provide credible information that could assist the rescue operation.
Media organisations were also urged to exercise caution in reporting information relating to the operation, while the police assured informants of strict confidentiality.
