Although there were reportedly 11 corps members and the driver in the bus, three of the corps members escaped during the attack.
The management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced the release of one of the corps members Islamic terrorists kidnapped in Zamfara State.
SaharaReporters reported on August 23, 2023, that eight corps members had been kidnapped by suspected terrorists on their way to camp in Zamfara State on Monday, August 21, 2023.
On September 5, it reported that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) blamed the eight corps members who were abducted in August while travelling to Sokoto State for their primary assignment for their plight.
The corps members were travelling in an Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to Sokoto State, for the one-year mandatory national service, when their vehicle was intercepted by the hoodlums.
Although there were reportedly 11 corps members and the driver in the bus, three of the corps members escaped during the attack.
The eight corps members were abducted alongside the driver.
Emmanuel Esudue, a graduate of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, from Akwa Ibom State University, and Victoria Udoka, a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Uyo were among the young graduates who were kidnapped by the terrorists.
SaharaReporters also reported on August 24, that the Nigeria Police Force and the army had organised a search party for the kidnapped corps members.
However, the NYSC Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, while giving an update on the abduction of the corps members in a statement on Saturday, said one of the seven corps members in captivity and the bus driver was rescued on Friday by security agents.
Titled: "Update on kidnapped prospective corps members: one released from captivity," the NYSC expressed optimism that the rest of the abductees would be rescued and reunited with their families.
The statement partly read: "Management of the National Youth Service Corps wishes to convey to the general public that the Scheme, through the help of security agencies has secured the release of one of the female Prospective Corps Members abducted in Zamfara State on Friday, 20th October, 2023, at about 12.30pm, out of the seven in captivity and the bus driver.
"The Scheme is confident that with the combined efforts of security agencies, the remaining will be released.
"As Corps Members and prospective ones alike are admonished by Management to always prioritise their personal security; the Scheme shall never shirk its responsibility of upholding the security and welfare of Corps Members at all times."