Tinubu confam release of 15 kidnapped NYSC victims, six odas for Kogi

Nigeria govment confam say security operatives don rescue fifteen National Youth Service Corps members (NYSC) and six oda civillians wey dem kidnap for Kogi State

President Bola Tinubu ontop X on Monday tok say di Search and Rescue (SAR) team rescue all di 21 abductees, (13 female men and 8 males) from di kidnappers den in di forest of Ofu LGAs for Kogi State on Monday afternoon.

According to di president, di corp members and all di oda pipo wey dem rescue dey undergo medical treatment and dem go soon reunit dem wit dia family members

"I dey delighted to receive di news say di fifteen members of National Youth Service Corps and six oda innocent Nigerians wey dem kidnap last week for Kogi State by some criminal elements don regain dia freedom.

"Di well-coordinated Search and Rescue (SAR) operation carried out by military, Nigerian Police Force, Department of State Services and local vigilantes don safely rescue all twenty-one abductess, eight males and thirteen females, from di kidnappers in di forest f Ofu Local Government Area for Kogi State dis afternoon.

"Di corps members and di oda individual wey dem rescue dey receive medical attention bifor dem go reunite dem wit dia family."

On Saturday, news bin break say dem kidnap 15 returning corp members from orientation camp for Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Bayelsa state on Wednesday.

Di young graduates dey travel from Bayelsa state, NYSC orientation camp to Abuja wen di gunmen stop dia vehicles some days back.

Di Nigeria police confam say di incident happun for Aloma-Egane expressway for Ofu LGA for Kogi and dem dey work wit oda security operatives to rescue di victims from di suspected kidnappers.

Victims narrate ordeal

Inside, one trending video, one corp member narrate im ordeal wen e dey captivity wit di kidnappers.

Di corp member tok say im and oda corp members dey travel from Bayelsa go Abuja state wen di kidnappers gbab dem and begin beat dem inside di bush bifor security operatives come rescue dem from captivity

E tok say di jaguda pipo threaten den inside di bush make dem no try move without dia permission or else dem go shoot di pesin.

"Wen we reach one bush, dem ask us who go drink water. Dem begin threaten us, empty threat, we begin move dat night, we move and den see open field wia we go sleep. Dem come warn us say if any one move without permission dem go shoot di pesi and none of us try to move becos of fear,"

"Di Nigeria army and oda security agencies den rescue us, I dey serve for Bayelsa camp and we dey travel back to Abuja from Bayelsa"

"We get organised vehicle from camp to different states, we get Abuja vehicle as we dey leave wen we get to Kogi. Di driver try to escape and dem hold am, dem open di door and lead us to di bush as dem dey beat us and begin shoot into di air.

Anoda travel victim tok say dem dey travel from Abuja go Abakiliki for Ebonyi state na dia dem kidnap dem for road

"I dey travel from Abuja to Abakiliki, as we reach Kogi na dia wey begin hear di sound of bullets, we try run into di bush na dia dem come capture we for dia come carry me go di moutain

"I tank God for di Nigeria security officers, I dey pray everyday for Nigeria security. Make God dey help dem for di security (officers) for di good work wey dem dey do"

My govment dey commited to protect lives and property- Preisident Tinubu

President Tinubu tok say di security operatives still dey chase afta di kidnappers and im don ask dem make dem apply pressure on all di criminals so dem go fit face di full weight of di law.

Di president tok say im adminstration dey committed to make sure say pipo fit travel witout any fear.

Tinubu tok say im administration dey " committed to protect dem life and property, as well as oda Nigerians."

"While we don rescue di abductees safely, our gallant security force still dey pursue di kidnappers wey don run away, in line wit my directive to sustain di pressure on all di criminal elements. Pipo wey dey responsible go face di full weight of di law, and our security agencies go chase everybody wey aides dis crime," Tinubu tok.

"My administration remain committed to make sure say every Nigerian fit travel across our kontri without fear. I wholeheartedly commend di combined SAR team for dia courage and I appreciate families and loved ones of di abductees for dia understanding during di ordeal for dia loved ones."

Di rescue happun as Nigeria dey increase dia security operation against armed groups and criminal gangs all over di kontri.

Di military tok say dia operations don lead to killing or arrest of hundreds of terrorists and oda criminals, while hundreds of pipo wey dem kidnap dem don rescue dem in recent months.

Earlier dis month, security forces free 308 pipo wey dem abduct for one seperate attacks for di north-central states of Niger and Kwara.

Nigeria still dey battle Islamist insurgency in di north-east, while heavily armed criminal groups dey responsible for di widespread kidnappings in di north-west and north-central regions. Oda forms of armed violence still dey happun for different parts of di kontri.

One recent report by security consultancy SBM Intelligence estimated tok say 7,825 pipo wey dem kidnap for Nigeria between July 2025 and June 2026, na 66% increase from di previous year.

Security still remain major issue for President Tinubu govment as Nigeria dey prepare for general elections in 2027.