DHQ Rescues All 21 Kogi Abductees Including 15 NYSC Members
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The Defence Headquarters confirmed the rescue of all 21 victims, including 15 NYSC members, abducted in Kogi State last week, with President Tinubu vowing that those responsible will face the full weight of the law.
The Defence Headquarters has confirmed the rescue of all 21 people abducted in Kogi State last week, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps, following a coordinated Search and Rescue operation on Monday, August 31, 2026.
President Bola Tinubu said the victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from a kidnappers' hideout in the forests of Ofu Local Government Area by a combined team of the military, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and local vigilantes. The NYSC members had been abducted on August 26 while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State, after gunmen blocked two buses and abducted passengers near Ogene Zaria.
"Those responsible will face the full weight of the law, and our security agencies will pursue everyone who aided this crime," Tinubu said, adding that the rescued Nigerians were receiving medical attention before being reunited with their families. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the fleeing kidnappers remained under pursuit, and separately disclosed that troops neutralised more than 332 terrorists and criminals and rescued 610 kidnapped victims nationwide in August.