Security Forces Rescue 21 Kidnap Victims, Including 15 NYSC Members, in Kogi Forest

KOGI STATE, Nigeria : Security forces have rescued 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), from a forest in Kogi State following a coordinated search-and-rescue operation.

The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume Ochaja forest stretch within the 2 Division area of operation.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, confirmed the rescue on Monday during a briefing on ongoing military operations across the country.

According to Onoja, 15 of the 21 rescued victims were NYSC members who were among those abducted last week while travelling between Abuja and Bayelsa State.

He said the victims were located and rescued within the Egume and Ochaja forest corridor following intensified security operations in the area.

The development was also confirmed by President Bola Tinubu, who said the operation involved a combined team of military personnel, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and local vigilantes.

President Tinubu said all 21 abductees were safely rescued from the kidnappers’ den in Kogi State.

The rescue has brought relief to the families and loved ones of the victims, particularly the NYSC members who had been held captive for several days.

The operation comes amid intensified efforts by Nigerian security agencies to dismantle kidnapping networks and other criminal groups operating across the country.

Security authorities have continued to stress the importance of intelligence gathering, information sharing and cooperation among security agencies and local communities in the fight against kidnapping and other forms of criminality.

The successful rescue operation is expected to further strengthen ongoing efforts to secure major travel corridors and vulnerable communities across the country.