The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the rescue of 11 people following an attack by gunmen on two buses along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area.
The incident, which involved members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, reportedly occurred on Wednesday as the victims travelled from Bayelsa State towards Abuja.
The Kogi NYSC abduction occurred at about 4:40pm around Ogene Zaria, close to the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction.
According to the police, armed men emerged from a bushy area, blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions and abducted some of the occupants.
Police spokesperson in Kogi State, Saliu Afusat, disclosed the development in a statement made available to TheCable on Friday.
She said security operatives immediately mobilised after receiving a distress call concerning the attack.
Afusat said the Divisional Police Officer in Ofu led a joint security team to the location.
Two vehicles abandoned at the scene were subsequently recovered.
They included a white Hummer bus belonging to Peace Mass Transit and a yellow 18-seater bus.
“Upon receipt of the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer, Ofu, led a joint security team to the scene, where two abandoned vehicles; a Peace Mass Transit white Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus were recovered,” she said.
The police then commenced a coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation in an attempt to locate the abducted passengers.
The operation eventually resulted in the rescue of 11 victims, including the drivers of both buses involved in the incident.
According to Afusat, preliminary debriefing of those rescued indicated that most of them were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.
The corps members were reportedly returning from the NYSC orientation camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
After undergoing necessary procedures and debriefing, the rescued victims were allowed to continue their journey, the police said.
However, the command did not provide the exact number of people initially abducted during the attack.
It also remained unclear how many NYSC members or other passengers might still be in captivity as security agencies continued their search.
The police said efforts were ongoing to locate any remaining victims and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
Afusat said the command, working with other security agencies, had deployed “every available operational and intelligence resource” towards the operation.
The security agencies are expected to continue combing the surrounding areas while gathering intelligence that could help identify the perpetrators.
The Kogi NYSC abduction has again raised concerns over the safety of travellers using the state’s highways, particularly routes passing through areas vulnerable to attacks by armed groups.
For now, the police said their immediate priority remains rescuing any victims who may still be held by the attackers and bringing those responsible for the incident to justice.
