Dramatic Rescue: 11 NYSC Members Freed After Harrowing Kogi Abduction

The Kogi State Police Command has successfully rescued eleven National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers who were abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in the Ofu Local Government Area of the state. This significant rescue operation, which included the drivers of the two buses involved, was confirmed by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, in a statement issued in response to press inquiries.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday, August 26, at approximately 4:40 p.m., near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction. Armed men emerged from the dense bush, ambushing and blocking two buses that were traveling in opposite directions. One was identified as a Peace Mass Transit white Hummer bus, and the other a yellow 18-seater bus. While some quick-thinking passengers managed to escape into the surrounding forest, others were forcibly abducted by the assailants.

Upon receiving the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ofu promptly mobilized and led a joint security team to the scene. Their immediate response led to the recovery of the two abandoned vehicles. Following this, the command launched a meticulously coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation across the area, which ultimately resulted in the successful rescue of the eleven victims.

Preliminary debriefing of the rescued individuals indicated that the majority of them were NYSC members. These corps members were reportedly traveling from Bayelsa State, heading towards Abuja, after having completed their orientation program. After undergoing necessary procedures and debriefing sessions, the rescued victims were allowed to continue their respective journeys.

Despite the success of this operation, the police command confirmed that some victims regrettably remain in captivity. Consequently, the joint security operation is actively ongoing in the surrounding forest. Its primary objectives are to locate and rescue the remaining abductees, apprehend the perpetrators responsible for the attack, and ensure that they are brought to justice.

This official confirmation followed earlier reports and alarms raised by relatives, stating that as many as fifteen NYSC members had been abducted. A relative of one of the victims had previously appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies for urgent intervention to rescue her sister and other corps members, who she mentioned were returning from their orientation camp.

The attack is unfortunately not an isolated incident but forms part of a disturbing pattern of kidnapping cases reported along Kogi’s highways throughout August. Notably, on August 9, security agencies had reported another abduction of commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads, also within Ofu LGA. In that earlier operation, sixteen victims were rescued after troops, supported by the Navy, police, vigilantes, and hunters, engaged the abductors in a gun battle near Adumu in Dekina LGA. That intense encounter, however, resulted in the tragic death of one local hunter and injuries to a police officer.

The repeated occurrence of such attacks in areas like Ofu has significantly heightened concerns regarding the pervasive use of Kogi’s forest corridors and major roads by criminal elements for orchestrating kidnapping operations. This underscores an urgent and critical need for enhanced security measures across the state’s key transit routes.