Kogi NYSC Abduction: Conflicting Rescue Reports Leave Families In Agony

Families of National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) members abducted in Kogi State are still in the dark over the actual number of those rescued and those remaining in captivity.

The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), said this on Monday while calling for clarity over conflicting reports on the rescue of the corps members.

Recall that about 15 corps members were reportedly abducted on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, while travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja after their orientation programme along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area.

The Kogi State Police Command later confirmed the attack and said 11 persons, including the drivers of the two buses, had been rescued. The command added that operations were ongoing to locate the others still in captivity.

However, the FUNAAB SUG said the information available had not addressed the concerns of the victims’ families.

In a statement titled “Kogi NYSC Abduction: We Need Clarity,” the union said while it appreciated efforts to rescue the corps members, there were still serious questions to answer.

The union noted that despite the police announcement, relatives were still searching for their loved ones. It also cited reports from Sunday, August 30, alleging that kidnappers were demanding N20m for each of those still held.

“If the 11 victims reported as rescued have indeed been safely released, we need clear confirmation. We need to see them. We need to know their names, their actual number, and receive verifiable evidence of their safe return,” the union said.

It added that uncertainty had left families in distress, especially with reports suggesting all victims had been freed.

“Families are still seeking answers. Victims are still being accounted for. Yet reports suggesting that everyone has been released continue to circulate without resolving these questions,” it stated.

The union vowed to keep pushing until all missing corps members are accounted for, urging authorities and media organisations to verify and publish the accurate status of every victim.