Family Appeals for Rescue of NYSC Member Abducted En Route to Abia
A family has appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies for the urgent rescue of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Kehinde, who was reportedly abducted while travelling to Abia State for the mandatory service programme.
According to the family, Kehinde left for Abia with other prospective corps members and was travelling in a convoy of buses when the incident allegedly occurred along the Imo-Abia axis early Thursday morning.
The family said they were monitoring the journey through live location sharing when, shortly after 6:00 a.m., Kehinde reportedly sent a brief message to the family group saying “Kidnappers,” before placing a missed call.
The phone subsequently went offline, leaving relatives unable to reach her.
The family said the travellers had spent the night at an undisclosed location before continuing the journey at about 4:30 a.m. Photos and videos later circulated among them allegedly showed that the bus carrying Kehinde and others had been attacked.
They claimed three buses were travelling together, with one reportedly escaping while occupants of the other buses were allegedly taken into the bush.
The relative further claimed that about 19 people were believed to be inside the affected bus, although the exact number of victims and the circumstances of the incident have not been independently verified.
The family said repeated calls to Kehinde’s phone rang without response.
Kehinde’s twin sibling, Taiye, who was posted to Enugu State, has reportedly arrived safely at the NYSC camp, according to the family.
The family appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to intensify efforts to locate and rescue Kehinde and others reportedly taken.
The alleged abduction comes amid growing concerns over the safety of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps across the country.
As of press time, authorities are yet to officially confirm the incident or provide details on the number of persons affected.