A family has cried out for urgent government and security intervention after their daughter, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was reportedly abducted alongside other corps members by armed bandits in Kogi State while returning to Abuja from her orientation programme in Bayelsa State.
The young woman was among 15 NYSC members reportedly intercepted by armed men on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The corps members were travelling from the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State towards Abuja after completing their orientation programme.
According to a relative of one of the victims who spoke with FIJ, the corps members were on their way to Abuja when the attackers struck.
The victim at the centre of the family’s appeal had completed her orientation programme in Bayelsa State and was subsequently posted to Niger State for her Place of Primary Assignment (PPA).
Her relative, speaking in a video seen by SaharaReporters, said the corps member was returning to Abuja before proceeding to Niger State to report at her PPA when the vehicle she was travelling in was attacked.
She alleged that the driver was killed during the attack while the corps members were taken into the bush by the kidnappers.
“My sister went to Bayelsa State for the NYSC camp. After the NYSC camp, she was posted to Niger State. On her way coming back from Bayelsa State to Abuja, she was coming back to spend the day in Abuja. So the next day, she was going out of the house.
“She was going to Niger State to report for her PPA. On her way coming back, the kidnappers attacked her. 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. The police are not giving us any positive feedback,” she said.
The relative, visibly distressed over the fate of her sister, appealed to Nigerians, the Federal Government and security agencies to urgently intervene and ensure the safe release of the abducted corps members.
She said the family had recently suffered the loss of their mother and could not bear another tragedy.
“I’m begging Nigerians. I’m begging the government. Nothing should happen to them. Nothing should happen to my sister,” she pleaded.
“We just lost our mum not quite long ago. Please, I beg you. Nothing should happen to my sister. Nothing should happen to her.
“Please, everybody, help us. Everybody, help us. I don’t want to lose my sister.”
The emotional appeal has drawn attention to the vulnerability of corps members who are required to travel significant distances after completing their orientation programmes and receiving their deployment postings.
The relative further claimed that the police informed the family about the incident on Wednesday night but that authorities had yet to provide the family with concrete information about the whereabouts of the abducted corps members.
“The police notified us yesterday night about what happened. Up till now, we have not heard anything. They keep on telling us that the Air Force is working,” she said.
She consequently called on the NYSC, police, military, Nigerian Air Force and Federal Government to intensify efforts to locate the victims and secure their release.
“NYSC should do something. The government should do something. The police force should do something. The Air Force should do something. They should do something,” she added.
The reported abduction was also brought to public attention by Madu Ka, a member of the NYSC Online Community.
However, several critical details surrounding the incident remained unclear as of the time of filing the report, including the identities of all 15 abducted corps members, their exact whereabouts, whether the abductors had contacted their families and whether any ransom demand had been made.
The Kogi State Police Command was contacted for confirmation of the incident and further details.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, initially responded to an enquiry, thanking the outlet for contacting the police public relations department and asking how she could assist.
However, she subsequently failed to respond to specific questions sent concerning the reported abduction and did not answer calls placed to her as of the time of filing the report.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of NYSC members travelling across the country, particularly corps members who are often required to embark on long journeys between orientation camps, their homes and their states of deployment.
For the affected family, however, the immediate concern is the safe return of their daughter.
With the memory of their mother’s recent death still fresh, the family is now left waiting anxiously for news of the young corps member and the other victims, while appealing to the authorities to act before the situation deteriorates further.