Eleven people, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), have been rescued after armed men abducted passengers travelling along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The victims were travelling from the NYSC orientation camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State when gunmen attacked two buses at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Kogi State Police Command.
In a statement on Friday, police spokesperson Afusat Saliu said the attack occurred near Ogene Zaria, close to the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction. Armed men emerged from nearby bush, blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions, and abducted some of the passengers.
Saliu said police received a distress call and immediately mobilised a joint security team led by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ofu. Responding officers recovered two abandoned vehicles at the scene — a white Peace Mass Transit Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus — before launching a coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation.
The operation led to the rescue of 11 victims, including the drivers of both buses. “Preliminary debriefing revealed that most of the rescued victims were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja,” Saliu said.
She added that the rescued victims were debriefed and subsequently allowed to continue their journey after the necessary procedures were completed.
Police did not disclose how many people were abducted in the attack, and it remains unclear whether any NYSC members are still being held. Saliu said police and other security agencies have deployed “every available operational and intelligence resource” to rescue any remaining victims and arrest those responsible.
