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The Imo State Police Command on Thursday said security agencies have launched a swift operation that led to the rescue of 10 victims abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.

This was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye.

“The rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to. The exact number of persons abducted is being verified and will be made public once confirmed,” the Command said.

It said it deployed tactical teams and operational assets in a coordinated search-and-rescue operation following the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) corps members and other passengers.

The Command said two buses carrying corps members and other passengers were attacked by suspected armed men at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026, near Umunoha.

The development follows the reported abduction of 20 corps members along the road while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

The victims were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus when they were intercepted by gunmen.

According to the Command, the two buses were conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively, when they came under attack.

The Command said its tactical teams were conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations, supported by intelligence-led tracking aimed at locating the suspected abductors and securing the release of the remaining victims.

It said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Bosso, alongside other service commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to provide operational direction.

The police said Bosso assured the public that the operation would continue until all victims were safely recovered and the suspects brought to justice.

“The Commissioner of Police, alongside other Service Commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to give operational direction. He assured the public that the Command will sustain the operation until all victims are safely recovered and the suspects are brought to justice,” the statement read in part

The affected section of the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway has since been reopened, with traffic flowing normally, while security personnel remain deployed to protect commuters.

The Command also said it was working with the NYSC directorate to contact the families of affected corps members and keep them informed as the operation progresses.

It urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the rescue operation.

“All information will be treated in confidence,” the police said, adding that further updates would be issued as the situation progresses.

The incident comes weeks after security forces rescued 15 corps members and six others abducted in Kogi State.

The victims were rescued after a sustained, intelligence-driven operation in Egume Forest, with security forces continuing efforts to apprehend the kidnappers.

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The mother of one of the NYSC members reportedly abducted along the Owerri Onitsha Expressway in Imo State has recounted the last moments she had contact with her daughter before she was allegedly taken by gunmen.

The woman, whose viral video appealing for help has circulated online, said her daughter left Samonda in Ibadan, Oyo State, for her National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Abia State.

According to her, the young woman remained in contact with the family during the journey and used her phone location to keep them updated on her movement.

She said that at about 6am on Thursday, the daughter sent a message to the family’s WhatsApp group indicating that kidnappers had attacked their vehicle before briefly placing a call.

“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 made a stopover 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 incident reportedly occurred around the Umunoha axis of the Owerri Onitsha Expressway in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, where gunmen were said to have attacked two commercial buses.

Several travellers, including corps members heading to orientation camps in the South East and South South, were reportedly caught in the attack.

The two buses were said to have been travelling from the Lagos direction towards Anambra when they were intercepted. Reports from the scene indicated that passengers were robbed before some were allegedly taken 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 mother, who appealed for urgent intervention, said she was deeply worried about her daughter and called on the authorities to help locate the abducted passengers.

The exact number of people abducted in the incident remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.

The Imo State Police Command had also not officially confirmed the attack or provided details on the number of victims.

The reported abduction has raised fresh concerns over the safety of travellers using the Owerri Onitsha Expressway, particularly as many young Nigerians are currently travelling to NYSC orientation camps across the country.

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A Nigerian pharmacist and doctoral researcher at McGill University, Chika Onochie, has won a major research award in Québec for his work on developing new ways to assess male fertility.

In an official award letter from the school sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, the award, valued at up to CAD $100,000, is supporting Onochie’s doctoral research into biomarkers that could provide additional information about male fertility beyond conventional semen analysis.

“Following the positive recommendation of the peer-review committee that evaluated your application, and in accordance with the deliberations of the Board of Directors of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), we are pleased to inform you that the scholarship application you submitted under the Doctoral Research Scholarships program in the Fall 2025 competition will receive financial support from the FRQ.

“You will find attached the CAD $100,000 offered, as well as the results obtained for each of the program’s evaluation criteria.

“This award is conditional upon the adoption by the National Assembly of Québec of the necessary budgetary appropriations, in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Administration Act (CQLR, c. A-6.001), and upon decisions of the FRQ Board of Directors related to its strategic planning. The award may be modified at any time, without prior notice,” the letter read.

Onochie’s research focuses on identifying molecular indicators that could reveal whether sperm are functionally capable of fertilisation, an area he says is not adequately captured by routine semen analysis.

His work is being conducted at McGill University under the supervision of reproductive health researcher Prof. Cristian O’Flaherty, whose laboratory focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in sperm production, function and activation, as well as the development of diagnostic tools for male infertility.

Onochie’s scientific journey began in Nigeria, where he trained as a pharmacist and developed an interest in biomedical research.

He graduated from the University of Benin in 2021 with First-Class Honours, earning Bachelor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees. He subsequently worked as a clinical pharmacist before moving to Canada for doctoral training.

In a statement on Thursday, he said his experience in Nigeria exposed him to gaps in the way infertility is sometimes evaluated, particularly in relation to men.

“My training and practice as a pharmacist in Nigeria allowed me to see some of the inequalities surrounding reproductive healthcare firsthand,” Onochie said.

“When couples experienced infertility, women often underwent extensive investigations, whereas evaluation of the man could end with a basic semen analysis examining parameters such as sperm count and morphology.”

That experience, he said, prompted him to investigate what conventional male fertility tests might be missing.

“I came to understand that the problem was not simply that men were being overlooked, but that we still lack reliable biomarkers that can tell us whether sperm are functionally capable of fertilization,” he said.

Onochie joined McGill in 2023 to pursue a PhD in Pharmacology. His research examines molecular changes in sperm that could eventually help researchers and clinicians better understand their fertilising potential.

“One of the problems we face is that routine semen analysis does not tell us everything about whether sperm are functionally capable of fertilization,” he said.

“My research aims to identify functional biomarkers that could provide a more complete assessment of male fertility, particularly in cases where conventional testing does not adequately explain why a couple is experiencing infertility.”

His work has also contributed to the scientific literature. In 2025, Onochie co-authored a peer-reviewed review on redox-induced protein modifications in spermatozoa, examining how such molecular changes may influence sperm function and male infertility.

For Onochie, the Québec award represents more than financial support for his doctoral studies. He said it is also recognition of the scientific foundation he received in Nigeria.

“Receiving this award is particularly meaningful to me because much of the foundation for my career was built in Nigeria,” Onochie said.

“To be recognised in a highly competitive process alongside other well-trained researchers is also a reflection of the quality of education and scientific training I received in Nigeria.”

“My training there gave me the foundation to compete internationally, and I am proud to carry that foundation forward in my research,” he added.

Onochie hopes his research will eventually contribute to improved tools for understanding male infertility and encourage a more balanced approach to reproductive healthcare.

“Infertility is a couple’s issue,” he said.

“Improving how we evaluate male fertility is important not only scientifically, but also for creating a more balanced approach to reproductive healthcare.”