Kogi Abduction: Full Passenger Manifest Emerges as Police Rescue 11 NYSC Members

The passenger manifest from one of the buses attacked by gunmen along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State has emerged, revealing the identities of the National Youth Service Corps members and other travellers abducted during the Wednesday incident. The document, obtained by THE WHISTLER on Thursday, contains the names and telephone numbers of passengers aboard the vehicle when armed hoodlums intercepted the bus and abducted several occupants. Those listed on the manifest include Ayodele David, Eke Onyinye, Johnson Samuel, Okuagba Chiemelie, Ani Odinaka, Obisesan Opeyemi, Mwoba Chinedu, Yusuf Mariam, Ruth Abiola, Nnaegbura Favour, Rita Arogbonlo, Sunday Sandra, Alimi Kasim, Egbo Innocent, Ngwu Charles and Eze Chidima.

The victims were members of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II of the National Youth Service Corps, returning from the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State to Abuja after completing their mandatory orientation programme. The attack occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction in Ofu Local Government Area, when armed hoodlums emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions. The two vehicles involved were identified as a white Peace Mass Transit Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus. According to a police officer, Adeji Joshua, who contacted some families, the driver of the Peace Mass Transit bus sustained serious injuries during the attack and had to be rushed to hospital. Information provided by the injured driver suggested that the attackers spoke Fulfulde, Hausa and English, though their identities and affiliations remained unclear. Police officer Joshua explained that two buses were involved in the incident. The occupants of the second vehicle were largely allowed to leave because several passengers were travelling with babies, though four people from that vehicle were reportedly taken. For the Peace Mass bus, he stated: “From the explanation of the driver, who was badly injured, fifteen passengers were kidnapped even though 16 people were listed on the manifest. For the last corps member, the driver told her the bus was full and said he could not add one more passenger, so he had to transfer her to another vehicle.” A relative of one of the abducted corps members, Ayodele David, told the Foundation for Investigative Journalism that families were alerted to the incident after police officer Joshua contacted them using information obtained from the passenger manifest. “According to a police officer who contacted us later that night, the incident occurred around Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State, along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis. The officer said he obtained our next-of-kin contact from the passengers’ manifest left behind,” the relative said.

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The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed that 11 victims, including the drivers of both buses, have been rescued following a coordinated joint security operation. The command’s spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said the Divisional Police Officer in Ofu led a joint security team to the scene after receiving a distress call. “Preliminary debriefing indicates that most of the rescued victims are NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja,” Afusat stated. The rescued victims were debriefed and, after necessary procedures, were allowed to continue their journey. However, the police acknowledged that some victims remained in captivity as security operatives continued searching the surrounding forest. “The joint security operation remains ongoing in the surrounding forest with the primary objectives of rescuing the remaining victims, apprehending the perpetrators and bringing them to justice,” the command said. The command assured residents and other road users that all available operational and intelligence resources were being deployed to secure the area and facilitate the recovery of the remaining victims.

A viral video showed a woman identifying herself as the sister of one of the abducted corps members making an emotional appeal for government help. She stated that her sister had travelled to Bayelsa State for the mandatory three-week NYSC orientation programme and was returning to Abuja when the vehicle she was travelling in came under attack. “I am begging Nigerians… Nothing should happen to them. Nothing should happen to my sister,” she said. The woman disclosed that her family had recently lost their mother and pleaded for help in securing her sister’s safe return.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the abduction, demanding the immediate rescue and safe return of all corps members. In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA said it was “shocked and angry” that young Nigerians serving their country could still be kidnapped while travelling on Nigerian highways. “How many more corps members must be kidnapped before the government wakes up?” the organisation asked. HURIWA called for an urgent review of the NYSC scheme, particularly the movement of corps members through areas known to pose serious security risks. The organisation questioned why corps members travelling from high-risk areas could not be provided with safer transportation arrangements, including air transport where necessary. “The government cannot keep posting young Nigerians to dangerous areas and then leave them to face armed kidnappers on the highways,” HURIWA said, describing the situation as unacceptable.

In a related development, the Kogi State Police Command reported another armed attack along the Itobe–Ochadamu Expressway, particularly around Ojuwo Olijo in Ofu Local Government Area, on Thursday, August 27, 2026. The incident occurred at about 5:00 p.m. when armed assailants emerged from the surrounding bush and opened fire at motorists. A blue Toyota Corolla, registration number GWA 636 CH, was subsequently found abandoned along the highway with the driver, identified as Hon. Ishaq Yunusa, found dead in the vehicle, while another occupant was taken by the assailants. The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, has directed sustained operational efforts towards securing the affected corridor and ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The abduction is the latest in a series of kidnapping incidents reported along Kogi State’s highways in recent weeks. On August 9, security agencies reported the abduction of commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu LGA, with the Nigerian Army subsequently rescuing 16 victims. One local hunter was killed during that operation, while a police officer sustained injuries. The recurring attacks have heightened concerns about the safety of Nigerians travelling on the country’s highways, particularly in areas where criminal gangs exploit vast forests and poorly secured stretches of road to carry out attacks. The emergence of the passenger manifest is expected to assist investigators in establishing the identities and number of people who were aboard the affected vehicle. The police said security agencies were continuing efforts to locate and rescue any remaining victims while working to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

Kogi Abduction: Full Passenger Manifest Emerges as Police Rescue 11 NYSC Members

11 NYSC Members Rescued, Others Remain in Captivity as Gunmen Attack Travellers on Kogi Highway

“Son of a Nobody”: VeryDarkMan Fires Back at Falana, Defends NBA Conference Invite

Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) , has launched a blistering counter-attack against human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, over criticism of his invitation to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference. VDM accused Falana and other critics of “classism,” arguing that his background as the “son of a nobody” is the real reason his participation at the elite legal gathering drew backlash.

The controversy erupted after Falana, in an interview with Channels Television, questioned the NBA‘s decision to invite VDM as a panelist for a session on insecurity at its 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt. Falana stated that past NBA conferences were not “circus shows” and that discussions on national security should feature individuals with demonstrable professional experience in the country’s security architecture. “Why would you just go and bring somebody from nowhere to come and entertain you? There are problems with that,” Falana remarked, arguing that the conference should return to its intellectual tradition.

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In a video posted on Friday, VDM expressed deep disappointment with Falana’s comments but stated they revealed the true reason behind the opposition to his invitation. “The problem these people have is that the son of a nobody was invited to come and speak where elites are seated,” VDM said. He described the criticism as a clear manifestation of “classism” from a section of the legal elite who are uncomfortable with his social status.

Countering Falana’s argument on expertise, VDM insisted that his firsthand experiences with insecurity in Nigeria are a valid qualification. “This is not about book. It’s about experience,” he said. “I have seen things that a lot of security experts have not seen.” The activist further maintained that security is a universal concern and should not be treated as an exclusive topic for professionals. He stated that his presence at the conference was to give a voice to ordinary Nigerians who are often voiceless in such elite conversations. “I spoke on behalf of the poor masses. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” VDM said.

VDM had appeared as a panelist at the NBA conference on Tuesday in a session titled “Known Gunmen or Unknown Gunmen.” During the session, he alleged that some police officers at checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and pass information to kidnappers, facilitating abductions. The Nigeria Police Force has since invited VDM to substantiate his claims with evidence. VDM concluded by admitting he hadn’t anticipated Falana’s stance, saying, “I wasn’t expecting this angle from Femi Falana SAN, but well, it is what it is.”

“Son of a Nobody”: VeryDarkMan Fires Back at Falana, Defends NBA Conference Invite