On October 1, gunmen attacked two buses near Umunoha on the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State, abducting 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another passenger travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps. After seven days in captivity, all 21 were freed on October 7, 2026. The official narrative is that a joint operation involving police, military, DSS and other security personnel pressured the kidnappers into releasing their captives, with Imo State Police Commissioner AuduBosso saying he knew of no ransom payment. However, authorities have not explained precisely how the hostages were freed or whether any kidnappers were killed or captured, while families gave conflicting accounts of ransom demands.
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