Fifteen members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, have reportedly been abducted by gunmen while travelling through Kogi State after completing their orientation programme in Bayelsa State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis of Ofu Local Government Area, as the corps members were travelling towards Abuja.
The victims were members of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II and had reportedly completed their orientation activities at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State before beginning their journey.
According to a relative of one of the victims who spoke with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), the corps members were travelling in two buses when gunmen attacked them.
The relative identified his brother, Ayodele David, as one of those abducted. He said a police officer, identified as Adeji Joshua, later contacted some of the victims’ families and informed them that the incident had occurred around Ofu Local Government Area.
The victims reportedly included passengers travelling in a Peace Mass Transit bus and another vehicle marked 564.
According to the relative, the driver of the Peace Mass Transit vehicle was injured during the attack but was left behind by the kidnappers. The injured driver was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.
The relative said there was a discrepancy between the number of passengers listed on one of the bus manifests and the number ultimately abducted.
According to his account, 16 people were initially listed on the manifest, but one corps member was moved to another vehicle after the driver said the bus had reached capacity.
He said the driver’s account indicated that 15 passengers were eventually taken by the gunmen.
The attackers were reportedly heard speaking Fulfulde, Hausa and English, although relatives said they could not independently determine the identities or affiliations of the assailants.
A video reportedly recorded at the scene showed gunmen shooting at the vehicles during the attack before taking passengers away.
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As of the time of the report, the identities of the attackers had not been independently established, while it was also unclear whether the abductors had demanded a ransom. Efforts to obtain an official response from the Kogi State Police Command were reportedly unsuccessful.
Calls to the command’s spokesperson, Saliu Afusat, were not answered. Attempts to reach Peace Mass Transit through its published customer service and emergency numbers were also unsuccessful.
The reported abduction comes amid growing concerns over attacks on travelers along highways and forest corridors in Kogi State.
On August 9, security agencies reportedly responded to the abduction of commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area.
The Nigerian Army later said troops, working alongside the police, Navy, vigilantes and hunters, rescued 16 victims after engaging the abductors in a gun battle near Adumu in Dekina Local Government Area. One local hunter was reportedly killed during that operation, while a police officer sustained injuries.
Earlier, on August 8, the Kogi State Police Command said it had intensified security operations around the Okene-Ajaokuta axis following another kidnapping incident along the Okene-Auchi Road.
The operation reportedly involved police tactical units and the Nigerian Army, with support from the Edo State Police Command along the Kogi-Edo border.
The latest reported incident has renewed concerns about the safety of travelers using major routes through Kogi, particularly areas where forested terrain could provide cover for criminal groups.
Authorities are expected to intensify efforts to locate the abducted corps members and secure the affected routes.
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