FUNAAB Students Demand Clear Answers on Abducted Kogi Corps Members

The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, has publicly expressed its demand for transparent information regarding the purported rescue of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were abducted in Kogi State. In a statement released via X on Monday, the FUNAAB SUG highlighted that contradictory accounts about the status of the kidn*pped corps members were generating significant anxiety, particularly among their families.

While acknowledging and commending efforts aimed at securing the victims' freedom, the union firmly stated that authorities must present credible and verifiable evidence concerning those reportedly brought to safety. The SUG noted that the Kogi State Police Command had earlier reported the rescue of 11 individuals, with ongoing operations to locate the remaining captives. However, despite these claims, relatives of some victims continue to voice deep worries regarding their loved ones' whereabouts and condition.

Furthermore, the union cited Sunday reports indicating that the abductors were demanding a ransom of N20 million for each victim still held, a detail corroborated by family members. Among the affected corps members, the SUG specifically identified Adedolapo, a graduate of FUNAAB’s College of Animal Resources Management and Animal Production.

"Should the reported 11 victims truly have been safely released," the union asserted, "we require explicit confirmation. We need to see them, know their names, their precise number, and receive undeniable proof of their secure return."

The SUG emphasized that the families involved are still desperately searching for answers, urging relevant government agencies and media outlets that have published these reports to diligently verify the status of each individual. "We will not cease our inquiries. We will not stop amplifying the voices of the affected families. And we will not permit inconsistent information to obscure the seriousness of this situation," the statement declared, adding, "We demand clarity. We demand answers. We demand the safe return of our people."

PUNCH Online had previously highlighted the emotional plea from Chidinma, the sister of one of the abducted corps members, who implored the Federal Government and security forces to intensify their rescue efforts. Chidinma shared that her family was still grieving the loss of their mother just months prior and could not endure another tragedy.

In a heartfelt appeal shared on her Instagram Story last Saturday, she alleged that the corps members remained captive in the forest, while their families struggled to meet the kidn*ppers’ ransom demands. "My sister was taken away on Wednesday along with other corps members. They are not doing anything. They keep telling us that they are on it," she lamented. "Those children are suffering in the forest; the kidn*ppers keep asking for what we cannot afford. The government should take this matter up because those children are still government property."

Chidinma also directly refuted media reports suggesting that some of the abducted corps members had been rescued, maintaining that her sister was still unaccounted for. "I heard some bloggers said they rescued some. They did not rescue anybody," she stated emphatically. "My sister will not disappear like that; we just lost our mum a few months back, and now my sister. Nigerians should please come to our rescue."

Earlier, on Thursday, Chidinma had issued a broader appeal to the government, police, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the general Nigerian public for intervention. She explained that her sister had traveled to Bayelsa State for the mandatory three-week NYSC orientation camp and was subsequently assigned to Niger State for her Place of Primary Assignment (PPA).

According to Chidinma, her sister was en route from Bayelsa to Abuja, where she intended to spend a day before proceeding to Niger State to report for her PPA. It was during this journey that the vehicle transporting her and other corps members came under attack. "The driver was killed," she recounted, "My sister and the rest of the corps members were taken into the bush. Up till now, we have not heard anything. The police are not giving us any positive feedback."

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command has officially confirmed the abduction incident, stating that 11 of the victims have been successfully rescued. The abduction occurred last Wednesday along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Reports indicate that armed assailants emerged from the bush, blocking two buses traveling in opposite directions.

The command verified the rescue operation on Friday, responding to an inquiry from PUNCH Online. Police spokesperson, Salisu Oyiza Afusat, reported that following a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ofu spearheaded a joint security team to the scene. She further noted the discovery of two abandoned vehicles, including a white Peace Mass Transit bus...