A Nigerian youth corps member known on X as Mmeso (@justmmeso53) has shared a chilling first-hand account of how he and three female corps members narrowly escaped being kidnapped by armed gunmen on the night of December 22, 2023, along the Abakaliki–Port Harcourt expressway.
In a viral thread posted in the early hours of Thursday, November 27, 2025, Mmeso narrated how their bus was ambushed around 11 p.m. at Etche, Chokcho, in Rivers State.
Full Account of the Incident (As Narrated by Mmeso):
“22nd of December 2023, I was going home from Abakaliki to Port Harcourt. By 11 p.m. we were still on the road. We got to Etche, Chokcho precisely and our bus was stopped by kidnappers. Myself and 3 female corpers were asked to come down.
When I got closer to the light, I realised it was our bus. I heaved a sigh of relief. Apparently our driver didn’t move; he waited like he knew we would come back. I used the last strength left in my core to scream. The remaining passengers (male) all came down.
To come down and follow them, the driver protested and they (kidnappers) shot at him and missed. The bullets shattered the driver’s side mirror. At this point we knew the issue had escalated. The four of us came down and followed the kidnappers into a thick forest.
My face, my body froze, my heart was weak, and an unexplainable feeling engulfed me. We waited for 30 minutes hoping for the girls to show up. They didn’t. The driver reluctantly drove off. I silently prayed for the safety of those girls. Each time I remember them, I tear up 💔😢
2 minutes into the [forest] walk, the tall one behind me struck my head with his gun. I turned and he said ‘go back, now!’ I did not even blink. I turned back and ran through the bush. Luckily for me it was a straight road, there weren’t any turns. I ran till I saw a light.
And started walking towards me. I increased my pace and eventually caught up with them. They led me back into the bus and asked about the 3 female corpers. I was too shocked to speak, practically numb. ‘Are they coming?’ the driver asked. I shook my head as hot tears trickled.”
A Lucky Escape, A Lasting Trauma
The courageous driver’s refusal to abandon the four corps members, coupled with the sudden order to “go back,” saved Mmeso’s life. Tragically, the three female corps members were marched deeper into the forest and their fate remains part of the countless unresolved abduction cases in the country.
Mmeso concluded his thread by asking:
“What’s that incident that people may not believe?”
His story has quickly gone viral, sparking fresh outrage over the persistent insecurity on Nigeria’s highways, especially in the South-East and South-South regions.
ReportNaija is attempting to reach the survivor for further details and will continue to follow up on the case of the three missing female corps members from Batch C, Stream 1, 2023.
Travelers are once again urged to avoid night journeys on the Abakaliki–Aba–Port Harcourt route until security is significantly improved.
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