The family of an abducted National Youth Service Corps member has appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue her and other corps members still believed to be in captivity in Kogi State.
The victim’s sister, identified as Chidinma, made the emotional appeal as the family continues to mourn the death of their mother, who reportedly died a few months ago.
According to Chidinma, her sister was among NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja after completing their three-week orientation camp when the vehicle conveying them was attacked by suspected kidnappers.
She said the attackers reportedly killed the driver before taking the corps members into the bush.
“My sister was taken away on Wednesday with other corps members. They are not doing anything. They keep telling us that they are on it,” she said in an emotional appeal shared on social media.
Chidinma said the kidnappers had demanded ransom from the victims’ families, adding that the amount being requested was beyond what her family could afford.
She appealed to the government to take responsibility for the safe return of the abducted corps members.
“These children are in the forest suffering. The kidnappers keep asking for what we cannot afford. Government should take this matter up because those children are still government property,” she said.
She also disputed reports suggesting that some of the abducted corps members had already been rescued, insisting that her sister remained missing.
“I just lost my mum a few months back, and now my sister. I don’t want to lose my sister. Nigerians should come to our rescue,” she pleaded.
Chidinma explained that her sister had travelled to Bayelsa State for the NYSC three-week orientation programme and was subsequently posted to Niger State for her Place of Primary Assignment.
She was reportedly returning to Abuja from Bayelsa before proceeding to Niger State when the vehicle conveying her and other corps members came under attack.
According to her, the driver was killed during the incident, while her sister and other corps members were taken into the bush.
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She expressed frustration over the lack of information available to the family regarding rescue efforts and appealed to the Nigeria Police Force, the NYSC, the Nigerian Air Force, the Federal Government and the United Nations to intervene.
“I don’t want to lose my sister. I don’t want Nigeria to happen to me. I don’t want Nigeria to happen to my family. NYSC should do something. The government should do something,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the abduction and announced that 11 victims have so far been rescued.
The incident occurred along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, where armed men reportedly emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions.
The police said a Divisional Police Officer in Ofu led a joint security team to the scene after receiving a distress call.
Two abandoned vehicles—a Peace Mass Transit white Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus—were recovered before security operatives launched a coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation.
The police spokesperson, ASP Salisu Oyiza Afusat, said preliminary debriefing showed that most of the rescued victims were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.
She said the rescued victims were debriefed and, after necessary procedures, allowed to continue their journey.
The command said security operations were still ongoing in the surrounding forest to locate and rescue any remaining victims and arrest the perpetrators.
The police further assured the public that available operational and intelligence resources were being deployed to secure the area and facilitate the safe recovery of the remaining abducted victims.
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