The Imo State Police Command has debunked reports of the alleged abduction of 15 candidates from Eminent Scholars Imperial Academy, Onitsha, who were said to have gone missing after sitting for their rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Imo State. The command clarified that the students were stranded due to a mechanical failure of their school bus, not abducted.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, DSP Henry Okoye, the command’s spokesperson, explained that the students, accompanied by their proprietor and support staff, safely arrived in Imo State from Onitsha on May 16, 2025, to write their exams at a CBT centre in Okigwe Zone. “The Command unequivocally confirms that no abduction took place. The students sat for their examinations as scheduled,” Okoye stated.
He noted that during their return journey, the school bus broke down in the Amuro area of Okigwe, where limited mobile network coverage caused a communication gap, fueling online speculation and safety concerns. Upon receiving the report, Imo State Police, in collaboration with other security agencies, promptly conducted a patrol, located the stranded students, and escorted them to Owerri. Arrangements were made to tow and repair the bus, enabling the group to resume their journey back to Onitsha.
Okoye commended the public for their vigilance in raising the alarm, which facilitated the swift response. The police reiterated their commitment to ensuring safety and urged the public to verify information before sharing to avoid unnecessary panic.
