RismadarVoice Reporters
October 12, 2026
A prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member rescued from kidnappers in Imo State has narrated the difficult conditions she and 20 other passengers endured while being held captive in a forest.
The survivor disclosed that the abductors subjected their victims to physical assaults, threats and severe deprivation, leaving them with little food and unsafe drinking water throughout their captivity.
The victims, comprising 20 prospective corps members and another passenger, were abducted on October 1, 2026, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Imo State.
They were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the incident occurred.
Recounting her experience during an interview, the survivor said the abductors closely monitored telephone conversations between the captives and their families.
According to her, victims were punished whenever their relatives made statements the kidnappers considered unacceptable.
She alleged that the captors repeatedly assaulted some of the victims, particularly the men, while using threats to intimidate others.
Describing the journey before the abduction, she explained that their bus departed at approximately 9 a.m. and made several stops before the driver decided it was unsafe to continue travelling.
The driver reportedly advised passengers to spend the night at a public location and resume their journey the following day.
She said she informed her family of the arrangement before going to sleep, only to wake up later in the custody of armed men.
The survivor explained that she could not account for how the passengers were moved from their resting location into the forest.
She said the abductors subsequently transferred them farther into the forest, where access to food and clean drinking water was severely limited.
According to her, the captives were largely fed dry garri and given dirty water, which they consumed because they had no alternative.
She described the experience as physically exhausting and emotionally distressing, explaining that fear and uncertainty made it difficult to process what was happening.
The survivor said the ordeal left her confused and overwhelmed, particularly because she had no assurance that she would regain her freedom.
She credited security personnel, including operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), with securing the victims’ release.
The 21 abducted passengers regained their freedom on October 7, 2026, following a coordinated security operation.
They were subsequently taken to a DSS medical facility in Owerri, the Imo State capital, for medical examination and necessary care.
The survivor’s account highlights the conditions reportedly endured by the abducted passengers during their six days in captivity.
Her allegations concerning the treatment of the victims and the circumstances of their abduction have not been independently verified.
