The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has commended security agencies and other groups for the successful rescue of 16 corps members abducted in Kogi.

The corps members were abducted on Aug. 26 while travelling from the NYSC Orientation Camp in Bayelsa to Abuja after completing their Orientation Course.

The Director, Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, conveyed the management’s commendation in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

She commended the Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and Kogi State Vigilante groups for their roles in the rescue operation.

Embu appreciated the professionalism, courage, commitment and coordination demonstrated by the security agencies during the search and rescue efforts.

She also acknowledged the support and commitment of President Bola Tinubu, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Youth Development toward the safe recovery of the corps members.

“The security agencies were indeed animated by His Excellency’s concern and commitment to urgently and successfully rescuing the corps members,” she said.

The NYSC also appreciated the families of the affected corps members for their patience and cooperation throughout the period.

The scheme commended the media for its professional handling of the incident without compromising the safety of the corps members while in captivity.

“Management is relieved that all affected corps members have been safely recovered and are in high spirits, eager to resume at their places of primary assignment.

“Their resolute spirit is humbling and instructive, and NYSC remains committed to supporting them as they recover from this traumatic experience.”

Embu said the scheme would continue to work with government and security agencies to strengthen protective measures for corps members nationwide.

“Lessons have been learned, and protocols will be reviewed to forestall future occurrences,” Embu said.

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, has charged the umbrella body of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to expose criminal elements.

Adamu-Bello gave the charge in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, signed by NAPTIP Head of Media and Public Relations Unit, Vincent Adekoye.

The charge followed involvement of organised criminal groups posing as civil society members to traffic Nigerian children, misleading parents in vulnerable communities and taking children away under false pretences.

The statement said NAPTIP recently rescued three children trafficked from Kajuru community in Kaduna State, recovering them in Onitsha, Anambra, while another child was found with a clinical staff member.

According to the statement, the development came months after Adamu-Bello raised concerns about suspected trafficking syndicates moving between crisis-ridden communities, targeting vulnerable parents and trafficking children.

She said the syndicates penetrated communities under the guise of educational support and back-to-school programmes, prompting NAPTIP to establish a Special Squad within its Investigation and Monitoring Department.

“This squad was tasked with recovery of children who were allegedly trafficked and bringing the traffickers to justice.

“The first batch of recovered children consisted of those reportedly taken from various communities in Benue and Nasarawa States.

“These children were distributed to orphanages in Abuja and other states, where they were sold to unidentified individuals under the guise of adoption, after substantial amounts of money were paid,” the statement said.

The statement also quoted a father, whose name was withheld, as commending NAPTIP management for helping him recover his son, who had been taken from Kajuru community.

He said, “I am overwhelmed with joy because I had initially lost hope of seeing my Son. It happened three years ago when some unknown gunmen invaded Kajuru, my Community.

“We were all affected and displaced.

“A few weeks later after the invasion by gunmen, some people whom were known to us, came around and, in an effort to console us, promised to take our children to the city for proper education.

“They said they run an NGO that helps people affected by one situation or another.

“I and some other parents were convinced, and since it has to do with the future of our children, we allowed them to take them away.

“We never knew that they deceived us. They tricked us and took our children away,’ he said.

According to him, a few months later, when it was obvious that the children ought to have vacated and spent the holiday with us in the village, we approached them.

“Rather than giving us the right answer, they further tricked us, and later we did not see them anymore.

“My Son was three years old then, and now he is six years old.

“It is a mixture of joy and sadness for me because he looks very unkempt, unhappy, and it appears that he is being used as house help.

“On the other hand, I am happy that I am seeing him alive.

“How it happened was the pure act of God. I saw my Son among them and started chatting with NAPTIP and it was later clear that my Son was indeed among them,” the father said.

He thanked the NAPTIP boss and the agency’s gallant officers for rescuing his son, adding that the recovery was just like a dream to him after three years.

The statement also quoted a nurse at Federal Medical Centre, Onitsha, Anambra, who was found with one trafficked child, as saying she obtained the child from a prominent orphanage in Abuja.

The nurse said the orphanage, whose name was withheld, was located in Abuja, adding that she got the child in 2023 after paying N771,000 for the child.

Adamu-Bello, however, expressed worry over organised criminal groups’ activities and called on Nigeria’s Civil Society Organisations umbrella body to conduct an in-house cleansing exercise.

The NAPTIP boss said, “I am seriously disturbed by the activities of some persons masquerading as members of the Civil Society Organisations, who had been fingered in several issues of child trafficking from across the country.

She said NAPTIP had commenced a manhunt for persons mentioned in its investigation and would ensure they faced the full wrath of the law,’ she said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Federal Fire Service (FFS) have intensified preventive measures to save lives and minimise avoidable disasters nationwide.

The ‌‍‍‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‍‍‌agencies made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at the Joint Security News Briefing organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

NEMA spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, said the agency was intensifying flood monitoring and early-warning systems, particularly in vulnerable communities.

Ezekiel said NEMA was working with State Emergency Management Agencies, local committees and traditional institutions to translate forecasts into actionable warnings.

He said the agency was monitoring water levels in Lagdo Dam, Cameroon, because of possible flooding along the River Benue.

“Residents of high-risk communities are encouraged to take precautionary measures, including relocation to safer grounds where necessary,” he said.

Ezekiel, however, dismissed reports of an imminent collapse of the Kagini Dam in Kaduna State, saying a joint assessment established that there was no immediate threat.

He said NEMA had activated its National Emergency Operations Centre to strengthen real-time monitoring, information analysis and coordination of flood responses.

He added that the agency had also conducted simulation exercises in Calabar and Adamawa to test emergency procedures and inter-agency coordination ahead of possible flood emergencies.

Ezekiel said NEMA provided relief assistance to 24,625 households, representing 147,750 persons, during July and August.

He said the agency was working with NiMet, NIHSA, NCC, NASRDA and other partners under the Early Warnings for All initiative.

In his presentation, the spokesperson for FRSC, Osondu Ohaeri, said the corps was using aggressive enforcement and targeted patrols to prevent dangerous road practices from translating into crashes and fatalities.

Ohaeri said FRSC arrested 4,691 offenders during Operation Guduma II for offences including dangerous mix-loading, vehicle identity fraud and serious loading violations.

According to him, the Special Patrol Against Overloading also produced 7,876 arrests, while the nationwide Zonal Intervention Special Patrol apprehended 14,287 traffic offenders.

He said the emergency teams responded to 740 road crashes involving 4,497 people in July, rescuing and evacuating 2,295 injured victims.

“However, 314 fatalities were recorded, underscoring the continuing challenge of preventable road deaths and the need for greater compliance by motorists.

“The corps also recovered four stolen vehicles through its National Vehicle Identification Scheme and supported 54 criminal investigations involving other security and law-enforcement agencies,” he said.

The National Public Relations Officer of FFS, Paul Abraham, said the service’s emergency teams responded to 426 fire incidents during July and August and saved 585 lives.

Abraham added that FFS protected property valued at about N107.98 billion, although property worth N35.89 billion was lost during the period.

According to him, residential buildings accounted for 195 fire incidents, while electrical faults remained the leading cause, responsible for 251 outbreaks.

The figures, the Service said, reinforced the need for stronger fire prevention, safety inspections, public enlightenment and compliance with safety standards.

“The Fire Service also took delivery of two firefighting trucks and continued expanding emergency infrastructure to improve response in underserved communities.

“It further collaborated with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria towards establishing fire stations across the 774 local government areas.

“The combined interventions point to a growing preventive-safety architecture in which authorities are increasingly seeking to detect hazards, warn communities and enforce compliance before emergencies result in avoidable loss of lives and property,” he said.