Joint security forces comprising the police, military, Department of State Services (DSS), and other auxiliary forces have rescued 15 corps members abducted in Egume Forest, Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The rescue followed a sustained, intelligence-driven operation aimed at securing the safe recovery of the victims, dismantling criminal elements operating in the area, and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Addressing a news conference in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the corps members were rescued from Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area following a coordinated security operation.

General Onoja said the operation remained ongoing as security forces intensified efforts to locate and rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the kidnappers responsible for the attack.

He, however, appealed to residents and travellers within the affected communities to promptly report suspicious movements or provide information that could assist security forces in locating the remaining victims and tracking the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered security forces to sustain the offensive against kidnappers operating in Kogi State following the rescue of the corps members abducted while travelling to Abuja from Bayelsa State.

The Commissioner of Police, while commending the personnel involved in the operation, described their efforts as gallant, professional, and resilient.

He also acknowledged the support and cooperation of residents of the affected communities, particularly the provision of timely and credible information, which he said remained critical to the success of the operation.

The police urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant and to promptly report suspicious movements or information that could assist the ongoing operation.

The Command assured residents that all available operational resources were being deployed to secure the safe recovery of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

It also said further updates would be provided as operational circumstances permitted.

The police had last Friday said that 11 people, including an unidentified number of corps members serving under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), were rescued after gunmen attacked vehicles along the Aloma–Egane Expressway.

The abduction reportedly occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria–Onicha-Igo Junction.

According to the Kogi State Police Command, the armed men emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions, abducting some of the passengers while others escaped into the surrounding bush.