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.
The rescued victims were subsequently debriefed and allowed to continue their journey after the necessary procedures were completed.
The police said the operation is still ongoing in the surrounding forest, with security personnel working to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The Command assured residents and travellers along the route that available operational and intelligence resources are being deployed to secure the area and ensure the safe recovery of the remaining abductees.