Gunmen have abducted an unspecified number of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other passengers along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The attack reportedly occurred on Wednesday when the gunmen emerged from the bush, blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions and abducted some of the occupants.
The victims were said to be travelling from the NYSC orientation camp in Bayelsa State to Abuja when the attackers struck.
Key Highlights
- NYSC members and other passengers abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Kogi State.
- Gunmen reportedly blocked two buses and abducted some passengers.
- The victims were travelling from the NYSC orientation camp in Bayelsa to Abuja.
- 11 victims were rescued by police and other security agencies.
- Two abandoned buses, including a Peace Mass Transit bus, were recovered.
The Kogi State Police Command, however, said its operatives, working with other security agencies, rescued 11 victims during a coordinated operation.
The Command’s spokesperson, Saliu Afusat, disclosed this in a statement made available on Friday.
According to her, the incident occurred around 4:40pm near Ogene Zaria, close to the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction.
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“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.
Afusat said security operatives subsequently embarked on a coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation, leading to the recovery of 11 victims, including the drivers of the two buses.
She said preliminary debriefing showed that most of the rescued victims were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.
The rescued victims were reportedly debriefed and, after necessary procedures, allowed to continue their journey.
The police did not disclose the exact number of people abducted during the attack, while efforts were ongoing to determine whether any of the victims remained in captivity.
Afusat said the Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, had deployed “every available operational and intelligence resource” to locate and rescue any remaining victims and arrest the perpetrators.
The latest attack comes amid growing security concerns along major highways in parts of Kogi State, where travellers have repeatedly come under attack by armed criminals.
