The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the abduction of 15 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Kogi State, demanding their immediate rescue and safe return.

The group said the incident, involving corps members returning to Abuja after completing their orientation programme in Bayelsa State, was another troubling indication of the security risks confronting young Nigerians participating in the national service scheme.

In a statement signed on Friday 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.

The corps members, members of the 2026 Batch ‘B’ Stream II, were reportedly attacked on Wednesday, August 26, while travelling from the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State towards Abuja.

The attack occurred along the Ofu/Itobe–Onicha-Igo axis in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, where armed men reportedly intercepted two buses carrying passengers.

The incident was subsequently confirmed by the Kogi State Police Command, which said the attack occurred at about 4:40 p.m. near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction along the Aloma-Egane Expressway. According to the police, the attackers emerged from the bush and blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions.

The police said a joint security team launched a search-and-rescue operation after receiving a distress call. The operation resulted in the rescue of 11 victims, including the drivers of the two buses, while efforts continued to locate other victims and apprehend the attackers.

The development has therefore added urgency to HURIWA’s demand for the government to ensure that all those still in captivity are rescued.

The organisation said the latest incident was another painful reminder of the longstanding security challenges faced by corps members travelling to their places of primary assignment.

HURIWA noted that corps members had, over the years, been exposed to kidnapping, attacks and other forms of violence while travelling across the country, arguing that the Federal Government needed to take more decisive measures to protect them.

“How many more corps members must be kidnapped before the government wakes up?” the organisation asked.

It said the recurring incidents should prompt an urgent review of the NYSC scheme, particularly the movement of corps members through areas known to pose serious security risks.

HURIWA questioned why corps members travelling from high-risk areas could not be provided with safer transportation arrangements, including air transport where necessary, before proceeding to their places of primary assignment.

The group argued that the government could not continue to deploy young Nigerians to areas with known security challenges and leave them vulnerable to attacks on the highways.

“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.

The organisation also demanded a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the abduction, including the security arrangements for the affected corps members and the events leading to the highway attack.

It called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, insisting that the latest incident must not become another unresolved kidnapping case.

HURIWA further urged security agencies to sustain the search operation until every abducted corps member was located and brought home safely.

The police, meanwhile, said the joint operation remained ongoing in the surrounding forest, with the objectives of rescuing the remaining victims and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The latest abduction has also renewed concerns about the security of major roads in Kogi State. Earlier in August, security agencies reported another kidnapping incident along roads in Ofu Local Government Area, while a subsequent military operation resulted in the rescue of 16 victims.

For HURIWA, the recurring attacks underline the need for the Federal Government to move beyond reactive security measures and establish a safer system for transporting corps members across the country.

The group said young Nigerians should not have to choose between fulfilling their national service obligations and protecting their lives.

It therefore urged the Federal Government to act immediately, stressing that the safety of corps members must become a priority rather than an afterthought.

“Enough is enough,” HURIWA said, demanding immediate action to protect members of the NYSC and prevent a recurrence of the incident.