The mother of an NYSC member reportedly abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State has recounted the last communication she had with her daughter before she was allegedly taken by gunmen.
The woman, whose emotional appeal for help has circulated online, said her daughter had travelled from Samonda in Ibadan, Oyo State, to attend her National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Abia State.
According to the mother, her daughter remained in contact with the family throughout the journey and shared her live location so they could monitor her movement.
She said the situation changed at about 6am on Thursday when her daughter sent a message to the family’s WhatsApp group indicating that their vehicle had come under attack by suspected kidnappers.
“She took off from Samonda in Ibadan to Abia. By 6am, she called in our family group chat and used her location so we could see her live updates. She then typed something about kidnappers and immediately called briefly. Since then, she has been unreachable,” the mother said.
The family later received information that the vehicle carrying the corps members had stopped somewhere in Abia State before continuing towards Imo.
“We later got other updates that they had a stopover along Abia, en route to Imo, at about 4am this morning,” she added.
The reported incident occurred around the Umunoha axis of the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
According to reports, gunmen attacked two commercial buses travelling from the Lagos direction towards Anambra.
Several passengers were reportedly on board the buses, including NYSC members travelling to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South regions.
The attackers were said to have robbed passengers before taking some of them into a nearby bush.
A video circulating online showed the two buses abandoned on the highway, while residents and other road users gathered around the scene.
The affected mother has appealed for urgent intervention from the authorities, expressing concern over the whereabouts and safety of her daughter and other passengers who were allegedly abducted.
She urged security agencies and relevant authorities to intensify efforts to locate those taken from the buses and secure their release.
However, the exact number of people reportedly abducted during the incident remained unclear at the time of filing the report.
The Imo State Police Command had also not officially confirmed the reported attack or disclosed the number of possible victims.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of travellers using the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, particularly as young Nigerians continue to travel across the country for NYSC orientation programmes.
