By Isa Isawade

The National Association of University Students (NAUS) has expressed shock and condemned the abduction of 15 National Youth Service Corps members in Kogi State, calling on security agencies to secure their immediate and safe release.

The corps members were abducted on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area while returning to Abuja after completing their orientation programme in Bayelsa State .

According to the Kogi State Police Command, the incident occurred at about 4:40 p.m. near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction when armed hoodlums emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions . Some passengers escaped into the surrounding bush while others were taken captive.

The police confirmed that a coordinated bush-combing operation led to the rescue of 11 victims, including the drivers of the two vehicles, a Peace Mass Transit white Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus.

Preliminary debriefing indicated that most of the rescued victims were NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa to Abuja.

However, some victims remain in captivity as security operatives continue searching the surrounding forest. The police have assured the public that “every available operational and intelligence resource is being deployed to secure the area and ensure the safe recovery of the remaining victims”.

In a strongly worded statement on Friday, the National Association of University Students expressed outrage over the incident.

“As the apex body representing Nigerian university students at home and in the diaspora, NAUS is outraged and heartbroken,” the statement read.

“Our corps members who answered the call to serve the nation should not be made victims of insecurity. The fact that young Nigerians can no longer travel, serve, or study without fear is a national shame.”

The association declared that “student and youth safety is non-negotiable” and called on the Federal Government, Kogi State Government, and all security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force, DSS, and Nigerian Army to secure the immediate and safe release of the abducted corps members unharmed.

Families Appeal for Intervention

Relatives of the abducted corps members have made emotional appeals for government intervention.

A woman identified as Chidimma, in a viral video, pleaded for help for her sister who was among those abducted. She said her sister had completed her NYSC orientation in Bayelsa and had been posted to Niger State, planning to spend the night in Abuja before proceeding to her primary place of assignment when the attack occurred .

“I am begging Nigerians… Nothing should happen to them. Nothing should happen to my sister,” she said, adding that her family had recently lost their mother.

Another relative, Chisom Ede, also claimed his sister was among the abducted corps members and called on the NYSC, Federal Government, and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts.

Enough is Enough

The attack is the latest in a series of kidnapping incidents reported along Kogi’s highways. On August 9, security agencies reported the abduction of commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu LGA. Another attack was reported on Thursday along the Itobe–Ochadamu Expressway, where one person was killed and another abducted.

NAUS has demanded that the NYSC Directorate and Ministry of Youth Development strengthen safety protocols for corps members during transit and service, especially in high-risk corridors. “Our campuses and highways have become hunting grounds,” the statement said.

The association vowed not to remain silent: “We will not keep quiet while our students continue to pay the price for national insecurity. Enough is Enough”.