The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma to make highway security an immediate priority following the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling through the state.
Gunmen attacked buses carrying NYSC members and other passengers along the Owerri–Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area on October 1.
Initial reports put the number of abducted corps members at about 20. However, the Imo State Police Command later said 10 victims had been rescued and that the exact number of persons abducted was still being verified.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when the attackers reportedly intercepted the buses.
The police said tactical teams and other security agencies had launched search-and-rescue operations, while the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Bosso, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
Reacting to the incident, the national coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel condemned the attack and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of any remaining abducted corps members.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the rights group described the incident as a grave assault on young Nigerians travelling to fulfil a national obligation.
HURIWA urged the security agencies to deploy every available resource to locate the victims, secure their safe return and apprehend those responsible.
The group also called for thorough investigation and prosecution of suspects once their culpability is established.
But beyond the immediate rescue operation, HURIWA turned its attention to the wider security situation in Imo, challenging Governor Uzodinma to demonstrate visible leadership over the safety of residents and travellers using the state’s major highways.
The organisation said repeated attacks on major roads should not be treated as isolated criminal incidents, arguing that vulnerable highways require sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid-response capacity.
HURIWA particularly urged the governor to devote greater attention to the security of Imo residents, visitors and travellers instead of allowing political engagements and campaign activities outside the state to overshadow the security situation.
The group said political activities were part of democratic practice, but the protection of lives and property remained a core responsibility of government.
It therefore called on Uzodinma to work more closely with the police, military, intelligence agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders to strengthen security coordination.
HURIWA also demanded a review of security arrangements along vulnerable highways connecting Imo with neighbouring states.
The organisation said the attack should serve as a warning that major highways cannot be allowed to become easy targets for kidnappers.
It commended security personnel involved in the ongoing operations and urged them to make the safe recovery of all remaining victims their immediate priority.
HURIWA further appealed to residents and motorists with credible information about the victims or perpetrators to provide such information to security agencies.
The rights group insisted that Nigerians participating in the NYSC scheme should not have to choose between fulfilling a national obligation and risking their lives while travelling to their orientation camps.
