Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu sent top police commanders to Imo State after 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1DIG Shehu Nadada arrived in Owerri alongside two Commissioners of Police to assess the situation and review security deploymentsPolice said tactical teams and intelligence-led tracking have been intensified to find the victims and catch the suspectsPAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng! Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues Owerri, Imo State – Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has ordered a major police response to the abduction of 20 prospective corps members in Imo State, deploying senior commanders to take charge of search-and-rescue efforts on the ground.Legit.ng reports that Imo State Police Commissioner Audu Garba Bosso confirmed that drones tracked the kidnappers to a specific location in the bush.Police intensify search for 20 abducted corps members after Imo highway ambush. @PoliceNG Source: TwitterThe Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, said Disu directed Deputy Inspector-General Shehu Nadada, who oversees Operations, to immediately assume tactical command in Owerri following a highway ambush that occurred on October 1. PAY ATTENTION: From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.ng on Instagram!Iniedu made this known in a statement released on Saturday, October 3, 2026, via the police X handle @PoliceNG.The victims, along with other passengers, were forced off the road and into the bush along the Owerri-Onitsha Road at Umunoha in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area.Senior commanders assess operation on the groundNadada arrived in Imo with two Commissioners of Police to carry out a direct assessment of the situation and review how operational assets were positioned across known criminal hideouts.The assessment was conducted alongside Imo State Police Commissioner Audu Bosso, Federal Operations chief Akpan Anifiok, and other senior commanders.”The search-and-rescue operation has been further intensified with additional deployments of tactical teams and intelligence-led tracking of the suspects,” the statement said.Nadada assured the public that the force would not relent until all 20 victims were safely recovered and those responsible brought to justice.Police urge calm, call for credible information”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 added.The police also appealed to residents and media organisations to stay calm and avoid panic, while encouraging anyone with useful information to share it with security agencies under strict confidentiality.Kidnappers give NYSC members’ parents ultimatum for ransomEarlier, Legit.ng also reported that parents of 20 kidnapped prospective NYSC corps members said abductors contacted them, demanding N50m per victim.The families visited Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, alongside the Oyo State Commissioner of Police to seek intervention.The Imo State police said drones located the suspected camp, but a rescue operation was delayed due to an IED threat.
Source: Legit.ng Adekunle Dada (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Adekunle Dada is a Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a B.Sc. in Mass Communication from Lagos State University, Ojo, and brings over eight years of professional media experience to his role. He has spent his career refining his craft at PM News, The Sun, and Within Nigeria. In 2024, he earned a certification in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative.
He can be reached at adekunle.dada@corp.legit.ng Imo StateNigeria PoliceNYSC Apology message Amy sherrill Maduka okoye Ghana weaving hairstyles
