Kogi Terror: Gunmen Kidnap 15 NYSC Members in Shocking Ambush
Several NYSC members were abducted along Kogi’s Aloma-Egane Expressway while travelling from Bayelsa to Abuja. Police later rescued 11 victims as operations continued for those still missing.Several members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were abducted on Wednesday, August 26, along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The corps members were reportedly travelling from the NYSC orientation camp in Bayelsa State, specifically Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, to Abuja after completing their three-week orientation programme.
Armed assailants launched the attack around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction, at approximately 4:40 pm. The gunmen, emerging from the bush, reportedly blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions, one identified as a white Peace Mass Transit Hummer bus and another as a yellow 18-seater bus (or a bus marked 564).
While some passengers were abducted, others managed to escape into the surrounding bush. A video from the scene reportedly showed the attackers shooting at the vehicles before abducting the passengers. One relative noted that the abductors reportedly spoke Fulfulde, Hausa, and English.
Saliu Afusat, spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command, confirmed that security operatives initiated an immediate rescue operation after receiving a distress call on Friday, August 28. Police officers and other security personnel later recovered the two abandoned vehicles at the scene.
A coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation was subsequently launched, leading to the rescue of 11 abducted victims, including the drivers of both buses. Preliminary debriefing indicated that most of those rescued were NYSC members. The victims were later debriefed and allowed to continue their journey.
Despite the initial rescue, the exact number of corps members initially abducted remained unclear. The Kogi police command stated its commitment to deploying “every available operational and intelligence resource” to locate and rescue any remaining victims.
According to a relative who spoke with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), 15 NYSC members were reportedly abducted. This claim was supported by a severely injured driver of one of the buses, who stated that 15 passengers were kidnapped, even though 16 had been listed on the manifest. The driver was hospitalized for treatment.
The incident has triggered widespread concern among relatives, with many taking to X (formerly Twitter) to report family members still missing.
A woman identified as Chidimma appealed to the government, NYSC, and the public for help in securing her sister's release. She stated her sister had completed her Bayelsa orientation and was posted to Niger State, intending to spend the night in Abuja.
Chidimma alleged that kidnappers attacked the vehicle carrying her sister and other corps members, killing the driver and taking passengers into the bush; this claim regarding the driver's death contradicts police reports of drivers being rescued.
Another individual, Chisom Ede, also claimed his sister was among those abducted and appealed to relevant authorities.
An X user, @ddevilsworkshop, similarly claimed his sister was a victim and shared what he described as a list of passengers, further alleging that the kidnappers were demanding ₦20 million in ransom.