Kogi: Tension as Gunmen Kidnap Several NYSC Members
- Armed gunmen blocked two buses on the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu LGA, Kogi state, and abducted several passengers, including NYSC corps members
- Kogi police confirmed 11 victims were rescued, including both bus drivers, but said efforts to recover the remaining abductees were ongoing
- Families of victims took to X to demand government action, with one abductor reportedly demanding N20 million in ransom
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Armed gunmen kidnapped several National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members on Wednesday along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi state.
The corps members had just completed their orientation programme at the NYSC camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa state and were travelling back when they were seized.
Source: Twitter
According to a statement issued by Kogi police spokesperson Saliu Afusat on Friday, the attackers struck at around 4:40 pm near Ogene Zaria, close to the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction. "Armed hoodlums emerged from the bush around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction, blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions and abducted some passengers, while others escaped into the surrounding bush," the statement read.
Afusat confirmed that a rescue operation launched immediately after the abduction led to "the successful rescue of 11 abducted victims, including the drivers of the two buses." She said "most" of those freed were corps members, though the exact number of NYSC members initially taken could not be confirmed.
Search for remaining victims continues
The Kogi police command said it had deployed "every available operational and intelligence resource" to locate and free those still in the kidnappers' custody. The number of victims yet to be accounted for was not disclosed in the official statement.
According to The Cable, the abduction has stirred anguish on social media, with family members of the victims appealing for urgent government intervention. In a video that circulated widely online, a woman identified as Chidimma was seen in tears, urging the government, the NYSC, and Nigerians to help secure her sister's release.
A man named Chisom Ede also claimed on X that his sister was among those taken. Another user, @ddevilsworkshop, shared what he said was a passenger manifest for the Peace Mass Transit vehicle involved and alleged that the kidnappers had demanded N20 million in ransom for the release of those still held.
As of the time of this report, the NYSC had not issued a public statement on the abduction of its corps members.
Source: Legit.ng
