Gunmen have abducted 20 members of the National Youth Service Corps travelling to various orientation camps in the South-East and South-South states.

The corps members were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, when the vehicle was intercepted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road by Umunoha community in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has triggered a fresh search operation by security agencies in the state.

Confirming the abduction, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, told Channels Television that the corps members were on their way to their respective orientation camps when they were attacked.

Okoye said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Audu Bosso, had visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

He added that the police, alongside other security agencies, had intensified efforts to rescue the victims safely and arrest the perpetrators.

According to him, security operatives were combing the surrounding bushes in search of the abducted corps members, while a Rapid Response Team had also been deployed to track the kidnappers.

The police spokesman said the operation was aimed at securing the safe and unconditional release of the victims.

The latest incident comes weeks after another group of NYSC members was abducted in Kogi State while travelling along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in the Ofu Local Government Area.

PUNCH had reported that armed men emerged from the bush around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction, and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions.

Several passengers were abducted, while others escaped into the surrounding bush.

The Kogi State Police Command later confirmed that 11 victims, including drivers of the two buses, had been rescued, while security operatives continued the search for other victims.

The military subsequently announced the rescue of 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 corps members, from the Egume-Ochaja forest in Kogi State.

The repeated attacks involving corps members travelling between states have renewed concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to fulfil their national service obligations.

For now, the focus of security agencies in Imo remains the safe recovery of the 20 abducted corps members and the apprehension of those behind the attack.

The Oyo State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has urged Nigerians to renew their faith in the country and support President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

Alli made the call in his Independence Day message issued in Ibadan on Thursday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The APC candidate said the anniversary was not only a moment to celebrate the country’s freedom but also an opportunity for citizens to reflect on the sacrifices of the nation’s founding fathers and the responsibility of the present generation to build a better Nigeria.

He urged Nigerians to remain united and patriotic, saying the country’s challenges could be overcome through responsible leadership, collective action and commitment to national development.

Alli also appealed to Nigerians to support the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, saying the government needed the cooperation of citizens to move the country from economic stabilisation to increased production, investment and shared prosperity.

He said, “We must never lose faith in Nigeria. Despite the challenges confronting the nation, our country remains endowed with enormous human and natural resources capable of making it one of the most prosperous nations in the world.”

The former senator particularly urged the people of Oyo State to support Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

According to him, having an APC-led government in Oyo State would provide an opportunity for closer coordination between the state and Federal Government in the implementation of development programmes.

Alli said his aspiration to govern the state was driven by a desire to provide purposeful, inclusive and people-centred leadership.

He listed education, security, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, youth empowerment, economic development, workers’ welfare and local government autonomy among the areas his administration would prioritise if elected.

He said the state had significant potential in agriculture, commerce, industry, tourism and human capital, but required deliberate policies to translate those advantages into opportunities for its people.

“We are seeking the mandate to build an Oyo State where our children can receive quality education, our farmers can produce without fear, our young people can find opportunities and our communities can benefit from meaningful infrastructure.

“Our campaign is not about political power for its own sake. It is about service, development and restoring greater confidence in the ability of government to improve the lives of our people,” Alli said.

The APC candidate also called on members of the party across the 33 local government areas and 351 wards of the state to close ranks and work collectively for the success of the party’s candidates.

He urged party members to see the senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates as members of one team working towards advancing the interests of Oyo State.

Alli congratulated President Tinubu, the Federal Government, state and local governments as well as Nigerians on the Independence anniversary.

He prayed for peace, security and prosperity in the country and urged citizens to remain hopeful and committed to the task of nation-building.

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has challenged Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to explain why hunger remains a major concern in the state despite his admission that the state is now receiving more money from the Federation Account.

The organisation said the governor’s statement exposed a contradiction in the management of the state’s finances, asking who else should be held responsible for deploying increased revenue to improve the welfare of Oyo residents.

Makinde had, while speaking in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Monday, acknowledged that states were receiving more money from the Federation Account but said the increase had not translated into a reduction in hunger.

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, the campaign organisation said the governor’s admission should prompt serious questions about how the additional funds accruing to Oyo State were being utilised.

The statement, signed by the organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, said it was contradictory for Makinde to acknowledge increased revenue and, at the same time, complain that hunger had not reduced.

“If you have acknowledged that monthly, you have been getting more money from the Federation Account, who are you expecting to come and help you to fight hunger in your state? Is it President Tinubu?” the organisation asked.

The group said the increase in federal allocations was partly a consequence of the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration, adding that states receiving more revenue should also be accountable for how such funds are used.

It said the responsibility of providing basic services and implementing state-level interventions to cushion economic hardship could not simply be transferred to the Federal Government.

The Alli campaign organisation also renewed its criticism of Makinde’s position on local government autonomy, alleging that the governor had resisted efforts to give councils greater financial independence.

According to the organisation, allowing local governments to function effectively would bring governance and development closer to the people at the grassroots.

The group described the situation in Oyo as a matter that should concern every resident, arguing that increased public revenue ought to generate corresponding improvements in the lives of citizens.

It said the controversy over allocations, hunger and local government autonomy would remain part of the issues it would place before the people of Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections.

The organisation further said the people of the state would have the opportunity to decide the direction of governance in Oyo State at the next election.