Fifteen members of the National Youth Service Corps have reportedly been abducted by gunmen along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The corps members, who were said to be part of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II, were travelling to Abuja after completing their mandatory orientation programme at the NYSC camp in Bayelsa State when they were attacked.
A relative of one of the victims, who spoke to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, said the incident occurred on Wednesday.
According to the source, the corps members were travelling in two buses when the gunmen intercepted the vehicles along the highway.
He identified his brother, Ayodele David, as one of those taken away by the assailants.
The source said a police officer, Adeji Joshua, later contacted some of the victims’ families and informed them that the attack occurred around the Ofu axis.
He added that the victims were travelling in a Peace Mass Transit bus and another vehicle marked 564.
The driver of the Peace Mass Transit bus was reportedly left behind after sustaining injuries during the attack and was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment.
The source said 16 passengers were initially listed on one of the manifests, but one corps member was moved to another vehicle after the driver indicated that the bus was already full.
“From the explanation of the driver, who was badly injured, 15 passengers were kidnapped even though 16 people were listed on the manifest,” the relative reportedly said.
He further claimed that the attackers spoke Fulfulde, Hausa and English during the operation, although the families were unable to independently establish the identities of the gunmen.
A video reportedly recorded at the scene showed the attackers firing at the vehicles before taking away the passengers.
As of the time of filing the report, there was no official confirmation from the Kogi State Police Command on the incident.
Efforts to reach the command’s spokesperson, Saliu Afusat, were unsuccessful, as calls to her telephone were not answered.
Attempts to obtain comments from Peace Mass Transit through its published customer service and emergency lines were also unsuccessful.
It was also unclear whether the abductors had contacted the families or demanded ransom.
The latest incident has heightened concerns over the security of travellers using major highways and forest corridors in Kogi State, where several kidnapping incidents have been reported in recent weeks.
On August 9, security agencies reported the abduction of commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area.
The Nigerian Army later announced that 16 kidnapped victims were rescued after troops, working with the police, Navy, vigilantes and local hunters, engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle near Adumu in Dekina Local Government Area.
A local hunter was reportedly killed during the operation, while a police officer sustained injuries.
Similarly, on August 8, the Kogi State Police Command said it had intensified security operations around the Okene-Ajaokuta axis following another kidnapping incident along the Okene-Auchi Road.
The operation involved police tactical teams and personnel of the Nigerian Army, with assistance from the Edo State Police Command along the Kogi-Edo border.
The recurring attacks have continued to raise fears among motorists and commuters travelling through Kogi, particularly along routes linking the state with neighbouring states and areas surrounded by forests that provide potential hideouts for criminal gangs.