Authorities have not disclosed whether ransom was demanded or paid
By Onibiyo Segun
(Lokoja, Kogi State) – “Our driver tried to escape, but the kidnap leader said, ‘Who’s the driver? Who’s the driver?’ And I held the driver, then they opened the door, and they started leading us to the bush while they were shooting, you know, rounds of bullets in the air,” David Ayodele told national media.
“Then we made our way to the bush with flogging and kicking and shouting and stuff,” Ayodele added.
He went on to say, “We reached one kind of bushy area; they asked us to sit down, they asked us who would drink water, that we would be here for one month, so they would kill all of us”.
“The kidnappers warned us that if anybody moved without permission that they will shoot the person, so none of us really attempted to move because of fear and stuff,” Ayodele said.
A journey from Bayelsa orientation camp to Abuja on August 26 became a nightmare when armed kidnappers seized 15 NYSC members in Kogi, marched them into forests and threatened death there.
The victims, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nigeria’s compulsory one-year national service programme that deploys university graduates outside their regions of origin to promote national integration, were returning after completing their orientation programme when attackers struck.
The corps members were abducted along the Ofu–Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu County, Kogi State. They were rescued on August 31 alongside six other abductees after a coordinated security operation involving the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS) operatives and local hunters.
Families Waited Through Days Of Fear
“We got the call on Saturday that their bus was stopped on the highway,” Chima Okafor, an uncle to one of the kidnapped corps members told TruthNigeria in a chat. “For three days we did not sleep. At one point, we were afraid we would never see him again.”
“Our children are serving the country. The government must protect them on these highways,” Okafor said.
Asked whether ransom was paid before the victims were released, Okafor said: “I cannot speak on that for security reasons.”
How Security Forces Reached The Forest Camp
The attack was launched around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria–Onicha-Igo Junction in Ofu County, an area connecting routes around Anyigba, Idah, Ajaokuta and Lokoja.
The Kogi State Police Command said a joint search operation involving security agencies and local hunters familiar with the terrain eventually located the abductors.
“We fashioned out a search-and-rescue operation, which commenced immediately. As the situation unfolded, we narrowed down to a particular spot and sought the support of local vigilantes and hunters who know the terrain very well,” Kogi State Police Commissioner Naziru Kankarofi said.
“The operation commenced in earnest on Sunday. To God be the glory, around 4:00 p.m. yesterday, we arrived at the camp of the kidnappers. There was a serious gun battle; they were eventually overpowered, and all the corps members were rescued,” Kankarofi said.
Four suspected kidnappers were killed during the exchange of fire, while others escaped with gunshot injuries, according to police.
Who Is Behind The Attack?
“The operation points to organised ransom-driven criminality rather than a confirmed ideological attack,” Dr. Ayodeji Akinwole, Ibadan-based security analyst, told TruthNigeria.
Akinwole explained: “The attackers showed planning and terrain knowledge, but criminal gangs, militia-linked elements and extremist cells operate in similar spaces. Investigators must identify commanders and financiers before attribution.”
The NYSC abduction followed other attacks that have raised concerns over highway safety in Kogi.
TruthNigeria previously documented attacks along Kogi routes, including the August 9 abduction of travellers around the Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads in Ofu County, where victims were later rescued after a security operation near Adumu in Dekina County.
Security analysts say the combination of major highways and difficult terrain gives armed groups opportunities to strike and disappear.
“Kogi’s geography is working against security forces,” Dr. Abayomi Olatunbosun of the Centre for Conflict Dynamics, Abuja, told TruthNigeria.
“The Itobe–Ajaokuta highway connects north and south, but weak surveillance and slow response times allow attackers to exploit forest paths around Ofu and Egume, where victims lose the advantage once taken off the road.”
The Ransom Question Remains
Authorities have not disclosed whether ransom was demanded or paid before the victims were rescued.
TruthNigeria investigations have previously examined how ransom payments have contributed to the expansion of kidnapping networks in Nigeria.
Authorities have not disclosed whether ransom was demanded or paid. “The issue is not assuming ransom was paid,” Akinwole told TruthNigeria. “The issue is that secrecy prevents tracking the money, informants, logistics and financiers sustaining kidnapping operations.”
Rescue Ends Captivity, But Questions Remain
The 21 abductees are home, but the network that identified their route, moved them into forests and sustained the kidnapping camp remains unknown. The challenge is whether security forces can dismantle the intelligence and financial systems behind highway abductions.
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflict for TruthNigeria.
