Fifteen members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have reportedly been abducted by gunmen in Kogi State while travelling to Abuja after completing their orientation programme in Bayelsa State.
The corps members, who are part of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II, were attacked on Wednesday along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The victims were reportedly travelling in two buses when the gunmen intercepted the vehicles. Among those abducted was Ayodele David, according to a relative who spoke to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).
The relative said the families were alerted to the incident after a police officer, Adeji Joshua, reportedly obtained the victims’ next-of-kin details from a passenger manifest found at the scene.
One of the vehicles was a Peace Mass Transit bus, while the other was marked 564.
According to the police officer, the Peace Mass Transit bus had 16 passengers listed on its manifest, but 15 of them were taken by the attackers. One corps member had reportedly been transferred to the second vehicle after the driver said the first bus was full.
The driver of the Peace Mass Transit bus was left behind but sustained serious injuries during the attack and was taken to hospital for treatment. He was reportedly recovering afterwards.
Families fear for relatives
The abduction has plunged the families of the affected corps members into anxiety, with relatives appealing for urgent efforts to secure their release.
One family member reportedly expressed particular concern over the fate of his sister, saying the family had only recently lost their mother and that he could not bear the thought of losing another member of the family.
The emotional appeal has added to growing concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to and from NYSC orientation camps.
A video reportedly recorded at the scene showed the attackers firing at the vehicles before taking passengers away. The identities and affiliations of the gunmen have not been established.
The injured driver reportedly told investigators that some of the attackers spoke Fulfulde, Hausa and English.
NYSC yet to issue detailed response
The incident occurred shortly after the corps members completed their orientation exercises at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The corps members were travelling towards Abuja when the attack occurred in Kogi.
Efforts to obtain an immediate official response from the NYSC were reportedly unsuccessful, while attempts to reach the Kogi State Police Command for further details also did not yield a response at the time of reporting.
The latest incident has renewed concerns about the safety of corps members and other travellers using major highways in Kogi, particularly routes connecting the southern part of the country with Abuja and the North.
Kogi has recorded a number of kidnapping incidents in recent weeks. Earlier in August, security agencies reported the abduction of commuters along roads in Ofu Local Government Area, with the Nigerian Army later announcing the rescue of 16 victims following an operation involving the military, police, vigilantes and hunters.
For the families of the 15 abducted corps members, however, the immediate priority remains the safe return of their loved ones as security agencies continue efforts to establish their whereabouts and secure their release.
