The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned in the strongest terms the abduction of 20 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State, describing the incident as a grave assault on the safety and fundamental rights of young Nigerians serving their country.
HURIWA demands the immediate and unconditional release of all the abducted corps members and calls on the security agencies to deploy every available resource to locate the victims, rescue them safely and apprehend those responsible.
The rights group also demands that the perpetrators be subjected to thorough investigation and, upon establishment of their culpability, prosecuted in accordance with the law.
According to reports, the corps members were travelling in a commercial bus from Ibadan, Oyo State, to various NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when they were intercepted by gunmen near Umunoha community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.
The Imo State Police Command has confirmed the incident and said security operatives are combing surrounding bushes, while a Rapid Response Team has been deployed to track the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the victims.
HURIWA says the development is deeply disturbing, particularly because the victims are young Nigerians travelling to fulfil a national obligation under the NYSC scheme.
The organisation is concerned that the renewed incidents of kidnapping along major roads in Imo State point to serious security challenges that require urgent and sustained attention from the state and federal authorities.
HURIWA therefore challenges Governor Hope Uzodinma to make the protection of lives and property in Imo State his immediate priority and to demonstrate visible leadership in confronting the worsening security concerns across the state.
The rights group particularly urges the governor to devote greater attention to the security of Imo residents, visitors and travellers using the state’s major highways, rather than allowing the issue of insecurity to be overshadowed by his political engagements and campaign activities outside the state.
HURIWA says political activities are part of democratic practice, but the constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property cannot be subordinated to partisan engagements.
The organisation therefore calls on Governor Uzodinma to be more physically present in the state and work closely with the police, military, intelligence agencies, traditional institutions, local communities and other stakeholders to strengthen security coordination.
HURIWA further urges the Imo State Government to review existing security measures along vulnerable highways and identify gaps that may be exploited by criminal elements.
The abduction of corps members travelling through Imo State should, according to HURIWA, serve as a wake-up call to all security authorities that highways must not become easy hunting grounds for kidnappers.
The organisation also calls for greater intelligence gathering, improved surveillance and rapid-response mechanisms around known vulnerable routes, particularly those connecting Imo with neighbouring states.
HURIWA commends the security personnel already involved in the search operation and urges them to make the safe rescue of the 20 corps members their immediate operational priority.
The organisation equally appeals to residents and motorists who may possess credible information about the whereabouts of the victims or the perpetrators to promptly share such information with the appropriate security agencies.
HURIWA insists that Nigerians serving their country under the NYSC scheme should not be forced to choose between fulfilling a national obligation and risking their lives on the nation’s highways.
The safety of the abducted corps members must therefore remain an urgent national priority until every one of them is safely reunited with their families.
Signed:
Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator, HURIWA
October 2, 2026
