Chidinma appeals for urgent rescue as police confirm 11 victims have been freed and say operations continue for those still missing

Chidinma, the sister of a National Youth Service Corps member abducted in Kogi State, appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies on Friday, August 28, 2026, to intensify efforts to rescue the remaining victims after gunmen attacked two buses travelling from Bayelsa State towards Abuja.

Also read: Enugu police rescue three abducted victims

Chidinma said her family was already mourning the death of their mother a few months ago and feared that another tragedy could devastate the family.

In an emotional appeal shared online, Chidinma said her sister and other corps members were still believed to be held in the forest, while families faced demands for ransom they could not afford.

“My sister was taken away on Wednesday and other corps members. They are not doing anything. They keep telling us that they are on it,” she said.

“Those children are in the forest suffering, the kidnappers kept asking for what we cannot afford. Government should take this matter up because those children are still government property.”

The appeal came after the Kogi State Police Command confirmed that several NYSC members were among passengers abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area.

The attack occurred at about 4:40pm on Wednesday, August 26, around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria and Onicha-Igo Junction.

Police said armed men emerged from the surrounding bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions. (Channels Television)

The attackers reportedly abducted some passengers, while others escaped into the surrounding bush.

The Divisional Police Officer in Ofu subsequently led a joint security team to the scene after receiving a distress call.

Two abandoned vehicles, including a white Peace Mass Transit Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus, were recovered before security personnel launched a coordinated bush-combing operation. (Channels Television)

The operation resulted in the rescue of 11 victims, including the drivers of the two buses.

Police spokesperson ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat said preliminary debriefing showed that most of those rescued were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.

“Most of the rescued victims are NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja,” Afusat said.

The rescued victims were debriefed and, after the necessary procedures, allowed to continue their journeys, according to the police.

Security personnel, however, remained in the surrounding forest in search of anyone still being held and in pursuit of the attackers. (Channels Television)

The police confirmation provided some relief but did not end the anxiety among families whose relatives remained unaccounted for.

Early reports indicated that about 15 NYSC members were among those abducted, although the police initially did not give a definitive breakdown of the total number of people taken.

Some later reports said four victims remained missing after the rescue of 11 people. (Nigerian Voice)

Chidinma said she was particularly distressed by reports suggesting that all the abducted corps members had been rescued.

“I heard some bloggers said they rescued some. They did not rescue anybody. My sister will not go like that, we just lost our mum few months back, and now my sister,” she said.

“Nigerians should come to our rescue.”

According to Chidinma, her sister had travelled to Bayelsa State for the compulsory three-week NYSC orientation programme before being posted to Niger State for her Place of Primary Assignment.

She said the young woman was returning from Bayelsa to Abuja, intending to spend a night in the capital before proceeding to Niger State to resume her assignment.

Instead, the vehicle conveying her and other corps members was attacked on the journey.

“The driver was killed. My sister and the rest of the corps members were taken to the bush. Up till now, we have not heard anything,” Chidinma said.

She appealed to the Federal Government, the police, the Nigerian Air Force, NYSC, Nigerians 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,” she said.

Chidinma also expressed frustration over what she described as inadequate communication from NYSC and the security agencies about the rescue effort.

Her appeal has added a deeply personal dimension to a disturbing security incident that has once again exposed the risks faced by young Nigerians travelling between states after completing national service obligations.

The National Association of University Students has also condemned the abduction and urged security agencies to secure the immediate and safe release of the remaining corps members.

The association described the incident as a serious reminder of the insecurity confronting young Nigerians who travel, study and serve the country. (PM News Nigeria)

The Kogi incident is also part of a broader pattern of highway kidnappings reported in the state this month.

Security agencies previously announced the rescue of 16 victims following another operation around Ofu and Dekina, after troops and other security personnel engaged abductors in a gun battle.

A local hunter was killed during that operation, while a police officer was injured. (Premium Times Nigeria)

The repeated incidents have heightened concerns about forest corridors and highways in parts of Kogi being exploited by criminal groups.

For the families of the abducted NYSC members, however, the wider security picture offers little comfort while their relatives remain missing.

The police have assured the public that available operational and intelligence resources are being deployed to locate the remaining victims and arrest those responsible.

For Chidinma and other relatives, the most urgent priority is simpler and more personal: bringing their loved ones home safely.

Also read: Tinubu praises troops after rescue of 308 abducted Nigerians

As the search continues, the family’s appeal remains a poignant reminder that behind every kidnapping figure is a person whose absence leaves an anxious family waiting for one piece of good news.