The corps members were reportedly intercepted along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis while travelling to Abuja after completing their orientation programme.

Fifteen National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have reportedly been abducted by armed men in Kogi State while returning from their orientation camp in Bayelsa State.

The corps members were said to have been travelling towards Abuja after completing their orientation programme at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

They were reportedly intercepted on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

A relative of one of the victims, who spoke with FIJ on Thursday, confirmed that the corps members were among those travelling to the Federal Capital Territory when the incident occurred.

The circumstances surrounding the abduction remain unclear, including how the attackers stopped the vehicle conveying the corps members and whether other passengers were also affected.

As of the time of filing this report, the identities of the 15 abducted corps members had not been made public.

It was also unclear whether the kidnappers had established contact with the families of the victims or made any ransom demands.

Details of efforts by security agencies to locate and rescue the abducted corps members were equally not immediately available.

The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of corps members who often travel long distances between their states of origin, orientation camps and places of primary assignment.

The NYSC programme requires young Nigerians deployed across the country to travel through different parts of the country, sometimes along routes where security challenges, including kidnapping and armed attacks, have been reported.

The reported abduction in Kogi is therefore likely to heighten calls for improved security arrangements for corps members, particularly during periods when thousands of participants are travelling to and from orientation camps.

Authorities are expected to provide further details on the incident and ongoing efforts to secure the release of the victims.