Families thrown into anxiety after corps members returning from Bayelsa orientation camp are ambushed on Kogi highway
At least 11 people, most of them members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), have been rescued after gunmen ambushed two commercial buses in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, in an attack that initially triggered reports that as many as 15 corps members had been abducted.
The victims were travelling from the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State towards Abuja after completing the orientation programme for the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II when the attackers struck on Wednesday, August 26.
The attack occurred at about 4:40 p.m. around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction, along the Aloma-Egane/Ofu–Itobe–Onicha-Igo corridor in Ofu Local Government Area. According to the Kogi State Police Command, armed men emerged from the surrounding bush, opened fire and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions before forcing passengers into the bush.
The incident immediately raised fresh fears about the safety of corps members and other travellers using highways linking the South-South with the Federal Capital Territory.
Families alerted after passenger manifest was recovered
One of the first accounts of the incident came from relatives of the affected corps members, who said families were alerted later that night after a police officer obtained next-of-kin details from a passenger manifest reportedly recovered at the scene.
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A relative identified Ayodele David as one of the corps members caught up in the attack and said his family was deeply worried about his whereabouts.
According to the relative, the corps members had just completed their orientation activities in Bayelsa and were making their way towards Abuja when the gunmen intercepted the vehicles.
The early account indicated that the victims were travelling in a Peace Mass Transit bus and another commercial vehicle. The Peace Mass bus was identified as vehicle number 2826, while another report identified the second vehicle as a yellow Toyota bus marked 564.
A police officer identified in earlier reports as Adeji Joshua reportedly told relatives that the Peace Mass bus had 16 people on its manifest, although one corps member had been moved to another vehicle after the bus became full.
The driver of the Peace Mass vehicle was said to have been seriously injured during the attack.
However, some details in the initial accounts have since been superseded by the police’s latest statement.
Police confirm rescue of 11 victims
In its latest account, the Kogi State Police Command said security operatives launched an immediate bush-combing operation after receiving a distress call.
The operation led to the recovery of two abandoned vehicles – a white Peace Mass Transit bus and a yellow 18-seater bus – and the rescue of 11 abducted victims, including the drivers of the two vehicles.
Police spokesperson Saliu Afusat said preliminary debriefing showed that most of the rescued victims were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja. The rescued persons were debriefed and, after necessary procedures, allowed to continue their journeys.
The police, however, did not state precisely how many corps members were initially taken or how many remain in captivity.
That distinction is significant because the first reports, based on information from relatives and other sources, put the number of abducted NYSC members at 15. The latest police account confirms that some passengers were abducted and that 11 were rescued, but it does not yet establish whether all 15 of the reported corps members were among those initially taken or how many remain unaccounted for.
Security agencies said the search of the surrounding forest was continuing, with the objective of locating any remaining victims and apprehending the attackers.
Attack exposes vulnerability of Kogi highway corridors
The latest incident is the second major kidnapping episode reported around the Ofu–Itobe corridor in August, underscoring concerns about the security of one of the state’s important road networks.
On August 9, a Peace Mass Transit bus travelling from Abuja towards Onitsha was intercepted along the Itobe–Anyigba Highway in Ofu Local Government Area. The Kogi Police Command subsequently announced the rescue of 15 passengers after security forces engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle. The operation involved the police, military, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, local vigilantes and other auxiliary personnel.
Police said one vigilante was killed and a police officer injured during that earlier operation, while the rescued passengers included two Federal Road Safety Corps personnel, 12 adults and three children.
The recurrence of attacks along the same general corridor has heightened concern among motorists, transport operators and residents who rely on the road to travel between Kogi East, other parts of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.
The attacks also highlight the vulnerability of commercial vehicles carrying large numbers of passengers. In the latest incident, two buses were reportedly stopped almost simultaneously, leaving passengers exposed before security personnel arrived.
Conflicting accounts emerge over fate of passengers
The evolving information surrounding Wednesday’s attack has also produced conflicting accounts of the fate of some passengers.
Early reports from relatives suggested that 15 corps members had been taken away and that the driver of the Peace Mass Transit bus survived after sustaining serious injuries. Other reports circulated claims about fatalities, but these have not been supported by the latest Kogi Police account.
The police statement instead says both bus drivers were among the 11 people rescued.
Consequently, authorities have so far avoided confirming the precise number of people still missing, while the rescue operation remains active.
The difference between the initial reports and the official account is likely to become clearer as security agencies complete their debriefing of the rescued passengers and families reconcile the names on the passenger manifests with those who have returned.
Corps members’ safety comes under scrutiny
The incident has renewed questions about how corps members are protected when travelling between states after orientation programmes.
Unlike students or workers travelling within their home states, corps members are routinely required to move across long distances as part of the national service scheme. Many travel by commercial buses after completing orientation programmes, sometimes covering hundreds of kilometres before reaching their states of deployment or permanent addresses.
That makes transport corridors passing through known kidnapping flashpoints a particular security concern.
The latest attack occurred shortly after the corps members had completed their orientation exercise in Bayelsa, turning what should have been the beginning of their journey into a traumatic experience for the young Nigerians and their families.
Security operation continues
The Kogi Police Command said its personnel and other security agencies remained in the area, combing surrounding forests and pursuing intelligence on the attackers.
The command said available operational and intelligence resources were being deployed to secure the corridor, rescue any remaining victims and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
As of Friday, August 28, the identities of the attackers had not been established publicly.
For the families of the affected corps members, however, the immediate priority remains the safe return of anyone still missing.
The latest police confirmation that 11 victims have been rescued provides some relief, but uncertainty remains over the fate of those who may still be in the hands of the attackers.
The incident has therefore shifted from an initial report of a mass abduction to an ongoing rescue operation, with families, security agencies and the NYSC community awaiting a definitive account of how many corps members were taken, how many have been recovered and whether any remain in captivity.