By: Ganiyu Olayinka
Ten members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were kidnapped while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State have been freed in Kogi State, according to the Defence Headquarters.
The corps members were freed from Egume Forest in the Ofu Local Government Area, the Defence Headquarters said on Monday.
Major General Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, announced the rescue in Abuja.
According to Onoja, security forces remain active in the area, working to free the rest of the captives and track down those responsible for the abduction.
He called on the public to stay calm and alert, and to pass on any useful information to security agencies. Members of the public, he said, should promptly flag suspicious movements or share information that might aid the search for the remaining victims and the effort to catch those behind the kidnapping.
The freed corps members were part of a group of 15 NYSC personnel abducted last week during their journey from Abuja to Bayelsa State. The group is understood to have been travelling together when their vehicle was stopped by suspected kidnappers, who then forced them into the forest.
The kidnappers are reported to have since demanded a ransom of N20m from some victims’ families.
Security personnel are continuing the operation, working to locate and free the five corps members still being held and to apprehend those responsible.