Joint Security Team rescues 11 abducted by gunmen in Kogi

Eleven people, including an unidentified number of corps members, have been rescued after gunmen attacked vehicles along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The abduction occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria–Onicha-Igo Junction. According to the Kogi State Police Command, the armed men emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions, abducting some of the passengers while others escaped into the surrounding bush.

The police said the Divisional Police Officer in Ofu led a joint security team to the scene following a distress call, where two abandoned vehicles were recovered. They included a white Peace Mass Transit Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus. The police said a coordinated bush combing and rescue operation was immediately launched, leading to the rescue of 11 abducted victims, including the drivers of the two vehicles.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Kogi State, ASP Saliu Afusat, said preliminary debriefing showed that most of the rescued victims were members of the National Youth Service Corps travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.