Gunmen abduct NYSC members in Kogi, police rescue 11

Several members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were reportedly abducted by gunmen along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The corps members were returning from the NYSC orientation camp in Bayelsa State when the incident occurred on Wednesday.

The Kogi State Police Command, however, said 11 abducted victims, including the drivers of the two buses involved, had been rescued.

The command’s spokesperson, Saliu Afusat, disclosed this in a statement made available to TheCable on Friday.

According to her, the incident occurred at about 4:40pm when armed hoodlums emerged from the bush around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction.

She said the attackers blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions and abducted some passengers, while others escaped into the surrounding bush.

“Upon receipt of the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer, Ofu, led a joint security team to the scene, where two abandoned vehicles—a Peace Mass Transit white Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus—were recovered,” she said.

Afusat said a coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation was immediately launched, leading to the successful rescue of 11 victims, including the drivers of the two buses.

She added that preliminary debriefing showed that most of the rescued victims were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.

“The rescued victims have been debriefed and, after necessary procedures, were allowed to continue their journey,” she said.

The police spokesperson said the command was deploying “every available operational and intelligence resource” to rescue other victims who may still be in the custody of the assailants.

The exact number of corps members abducted during the attack could not immediately be ascertained.

The incident has triggered concern among relatives of some of the victims, with several family members taking to social media to appeal for urgent intervention.

In a viral video, a woman identified as Chidimma appealed to the government, the NYSC and Nigerians to help secure the release of her sister, whom she said was among those abducted.

She said her sister had travelled to Bayelsa State for the mandatory three-week NYSC orientation programme and was subsequently posted to Niger State.

According to her, the corps member planned to spend the night in Abuja before travelling to Niger State the following day to resume at her place of primary assignment.

She alleged that the driver of the vehicle was killed during the attack while her sister and other corps members were taken into the bush.

Another relative, identified as Chisom Ede, also claimed that his sister was among the abducted corps members.

He appealed to the NYSC, Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ safe release.

Another social media user also claimed that his sister was among the victims and shared a list purportedly containing the names of passengers who boarded the Peace Mass Transit vehicle.

He further claimed that the abductors had demanded N20 million as ransom.

The police command has yet to confirm the ransom claim or provide details on the number of victims still in captivity.