Security forces have reportedly rescued 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), during a military operation in a forested area of Kogi State.
The rescue followed days of intensified security operations after corps members and other travellers were abducted along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of the state. The attack reportedly occurred after armed men emerged from the bush and intercepted vehicles travelling along the route.
Reports on Sunday indicated that the Nigerian military and other security agencies had intensified operations in the forests where the victims were believed to have been held, leading to the reported rescue of the corps members and six other victims.
The latest development comes amid conflicting reports over the number of corps members rescued in separate security operations. Earlier, the Kogi State Police Command had confirmed that 10 corps members were rescued from Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area through a coordinated operation involving the police, military, Department of State Services and other auxiliary security forces.
The abduction had generated widespread concern, particularly among families and colleagues of the victims. The Students’ Union Government of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, also recently called for clearer and verifiable information on the status of corps members reportedly rescued, following conflicting accounts surrounding the operation.
The incident has once again drawn attention to growing security concerns surrounding interstate travel by young Nigerians, including NYSC members deployed across different parts of the country.
Security agencies are expected to provide further clarification on the identities and condition of the rescued victims, as well as details of efforts to ensure that any remaining abductees are safely recovered.
The rescue operation represents a significant development in the ongoing efforts to locate victims of the Kogi abduction, although authorities are expected to provide a comprehensive official account to reconcile the varying figures emerging from different rescue operations.
