News
Atiku Condemns Imo, Borno Abductions, Says “This is a Generation Being Failed at Every Stage”
Atiku Condemns Imo, Borno Abductions, Says “This is a Generation Being Failed at Every Stage”
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the abduction of 20 travellers, including prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, in Imo State and the continued captivity of more than 70 pupils and students in Borno State.
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Atiku lambasted the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government over its failure to protect Nigerians.
Atiku made the remarks in a post on his X account on Monday, urging the Nigerian Government, the Imo State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue all victims still in captivity.
He described the abduction of the travellers as “heartbreaking,” noting that while some of the victims had been rescued, others remained in captivity.
“The abduction of 20 travellers, including prospective corps members, in Imo State is heartbreaking. Some have been rescued, but others remain in captivity,” Atiku said.
“I urge the Federal and Imo State governments, and all security agencies, to act with urgency and bring everyone still being held home safely.”
SaharaReporters had reported on October 3 that the gunmen who abducted the prospective NYSC members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states reportedly demanded a total ransom of ₦950 million for their release. The victims were ambushed while travelling in two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The abductors reportedly contacted some of the victims’ families and demanded ₦50 million for each person. The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, said the buses were operated by his company.
The incident occurred after the buses, which had departed Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan, spent the night in Oba, Anambra State, before resuming their journey at about 5am.
The gunmen were said to have emerged from a nearby bush after the vehicles entered Imo State and blocked their movement. “They blocked the two vehicles and took 19 passengers, all corps members, into the bush,” Akpan said, according to the earlier report.
In his reaction, Atiku also drew attention to the continued captivity of more than 70 pupils and students abducted from Mussa and Lassa communities in Borno State. “In Borno, more than 70 pupils and students abducted from Mussa and Lassa remain in captivity months later,” he said.
“These children must not be forgotten. Their families deserve clear updates, and the public deserves answers.”
Atiku further criticised the administration of President Tinubu over insecurity, linking the continued abductions to the government’s promise that savings from the removal of fuel subsidy would be channelled towards improving security.
“Tinubu promised that savings from subsidy removal would help fund security. Yet Nigerians remain exposed to kidnappers on our roads, in our communities and around our schools,” he said.
According to Atiku, young Nigerians are increasingly facing insecurity at different stages of their lives, from secondary school to university and during journeys to NYSC orientation camps.
“Young people face danger in secondary school, struggle with unaffordable fees at university, and are now targets on their journeys to NYSC camps,” he said. “This is a generation being failed at every stage.”
He also questioned the government’s spending on pipeline security contracts, alleging that politically connected companies receive huge contracts while ordinary Nigerians remain vulnerable to criminal attacks.
Atiku
“Meanwhile, huge pipeline security contracts go to politically connected companies, while ordinary Nigerians are left to face criminals. The first duty of the government is to protect lives,” Atiku said.
He called for the immediate and safe rescue of all abducted persons and urged authorities to provide families with information on the whereabouts of their loved ones.
“While we pray for the immediate and safe rescue of every abducted young person and the return of all those still unaccounted for, my promise to build a safer and more affordable Nigeria, where young people can create, build and prosper, remains unshakable,” Atiku said.
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NAF Activates Immediate Search and Rescue Following Aircraft Accident in Ondo Community
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has activated an immediate Search and Rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on 5 October 2026.
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The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred. Search and Rescue operations, in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, are currently ongoing.
The NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing Search and Rescue efforts. Further details will be communicated in due course.
Helicopters crash
Ehimen Ejodame
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force
5 October 2026
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News
Suspected Terrorists Kills Bus Driver, Abduct 18 Sokoto Health College Students Travelling to Oyo
Suspected Terrorists Kills Bus Driver, Abduct 18 Sokoto Health College Students Travelling to Oyo
Suspected terrorists have abducted about 18 students of Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto State, who were travelling to their home towns in Oyo State, SaharaReporters has learnt. The incident reportedly occurred within the past 48 hours along the route to Oyo State, with the driver of the bus allegedly killed at the scene.
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A youth leader from Oke-Ogun, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters during an exclusive interview, said the victims were not students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University (UDUS), as earlier reported.
According to him, the students were travelling in a chartered bus from Gamji College of Health Technology in Sokoto to Oke-Ogun, particularly Igboho in Oyo State.
“Sadly, the unfortunate incident is being confirmed by me because I’m from Oke-Ogun too, and our people have confirmed that it truly happened in the past 48 hours.
“But it wasn’t a bus conveying UDUS students. It was a bus taking students from Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, to Oke-Ogun, Igboho to be precise.
“The driver was killed and all the students were kidnapped. They have reached the Mokwa side,” the youth leader said. Other sources familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters that the number of abducted students could be as many as 18.
The sources said the students were travelling in a chartered bus arranged by their school to convey them to their respective home towns in Oyo State. They were reportedly all taken away by the assailants after the driver was killed.
The reported movement of the abducted students towards the Mokwa axis has raised concerns among residents and relatives of the victims, as the area has previously witnessed attacks and abductions along major roads.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when gunmen reportedly attacked their two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, on Thursday.
Isiah Akpan, the Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, said the abductors had demanded N50 million for each victim, putting the total ransom at N950 million.
Reacting in a post on X, human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, said the incident reinforced his longstanding position that the NYSC had “outlived its usefulness in its present form.”
Terrorists Attack
“You cannot force young Nigerians to ‘serve their fatherland’ when the same country cannot guarantee their safety while they travel to their places of service,” he wrote.
Sowore called for the immediate suspension of the scheme and its eventual abolition, proposing that corps members should, in the interim, be allowed to serve within their states of origin.
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Many Feared Dead as Helicopter Crashes in Ondo Community
Many persons are feared dead after a helicopter crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
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The incident, which occurred on Monday, October 5, 2026, threw the coastal community into panic, with residents scampering for safety.
Details surrounding the crash remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report.
It was yet unclear how many persons were aboard the helicopter, while the condition of possible survivors could not be immediately ascertained.
Sources in the community told SaharaReporters that efforts were underway to access the crash site and determine the extent of casualties and circumstances that led to the crash.
“Yes, it’s true. A helicopter just crashed now at Igbokoda, Ondo state,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
Ondo State Police Command spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh told SaharaReporters he was unaware of the incident but would make inquiries.
Helicopters crash
Igbokoda is a riverine community and commercial hub of Ilaje, one of the oil-rich areas of Ondo State, where helicopters are frequently used for oil and gas logistics operations.
Nigeria has recorded a series of helicopter crashes in recent years, many involving oil workers and military aircraft, raising fresh concerns over aviation safety and regulatory compliance.
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