Kidnapping Epidemic: NYSC Corps Members Bearing the Brunt

By Emmanuel Kwada

The plight of corps members being kidnapped and murdered has become increasingly perilous across the states in Nigeria, with no place exempted, as the harrowing news greets the air every day, with little or nothing being done about it by the authorities.

Chart Showing the Timeline of the Corps Members’ Kidnapping Incidents

In a shocking revelation that has sent ripples of fear and heartbreak across Nigeria, Miss Abasifreke Joseph, a dedicated National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, recounted her traumatic five-day ordeal after being kidnapped on January 9, 2025. The young woman, who was en route to her posting in Kogi State, found herself ensnared in the ruthless grip of her captors along the treacherous Enugu-Ezike Road.

I spent five days and five nights in the kidnappers’ den without food or water

Speaking from her home in Abak on Sunday, Joseph detailed the unimaginable torment she endured while held captive. “I spent five days and five nights in the kidnappers’ den without food or water,” she said, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. “We were beaten mercilessly and stripped of our belongings, including our mobile phones. It was a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”

Joseph’s journey had begun with hope and determination. After reporting to the NYSC orientation camp and being sworn in on November 29, 2024, she had to travel home for medical treatment due to an illness. Little did she know that her return would lead her straight into the hands of armed assailants. “As we traveled, a motorcycle rider warned us about an armed robbery ahead. But our bus driver, against all odds, pressed on,” she recounted, her eyes welling with tears as the memory flooded back.

Miss Abasifreke Joseph

When the gunfire erupted, chaos ensued. “Our driver jumped out, opened the door, and urged us to flee into the bush. Astonishingly, the kidnappers let him go. They wanted us, not him,” Joseph recalled, her voice now laced with disbelief.

The horrors she faced in captivity were compounded by the sheer despair of being cut off from the outside world. She described the suffocating fear that gripped her and the other hostages, who shared their collective suffering in silence. “We were at their mercy, left to wonder if anyone would come looking for us,” she said.

The reality of Joseph’s experience is not isolated. Tragically, the violence has claimed lives, and the country is still reeling from the brutal murder of corps member Salome Adaidu by an alleged boyfriend in Orozo, Nasarawa State.

Late Salome Adaidu & her killer, Timileyin Ajayi

On Sunday, January 12, the nation was shaken by the gruesome murder of Salome Adaidu, a 24-year-old Kogi-born member of the National Youth Service Corps.

The brutality of the crime, allegedly committed by Timileyin Ajayi, a 32-year-old gospel singer who claimed to be her boyfriend, has admitted to killing his alleged girlfriend, Salome Eleojo Adaidu, over alleged infidelity.

No. I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal…I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time

“I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time. It’s not something I planned. It happened on that day, and it happened. Not that I had the plan in mind; she was cheating. She hides most of the things from me most of the time. I got to know from her phone. I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, and that was why I decided,” he said.

When asked if he regretted his actions, he said, “No. I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal; that is what I thought. If you must do something to someone, you have to be reciprocal with that person. You have to understand what that person is going through so that you can actually put yourself in the position that the person is in. That is why I don’t have any regrets because we were actually compatible,” he explained.

However, Salome’s family refuted any claims of a relationship between her and the suspect. Her elder sister, Esther Adaidu, described Ajayi as a stranger to the family and demanded justice.

I demand and need justice to be served to this guy

“This so-called Timi guy, we don’t know him. We have never seen him until we were called to tell us that this guy murdered and dismembered our sister. I demand and need justice to be served to this guy sitting over there because he is the one who murdered my sister, and he confirmed it to me,” she said.

Salome’s elder sister, Patience Adaidu, described Salome as an intelligent, respectful, and reserved young lady who was set to finalize her service in March, with ambitions painfully cut short.

Reeling from pain, the family seeks answers and trusts authorities to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident as they demand justice.

“Salome is gentle, she is beautiful, she is brilliant, and she is quiet. She was someone who had ambition, but this guy just cut her life short. She wanted to be like her boss, the person she was working with. That was the kind of person she was. She had too many ambitions. So far, we are satisfied with how the police are handling the case, but we just need more investigation. We want this case to be resolved so that my family and I can have peace,” she said.

“We are in Nigeria, and I should trust the police and the judiciary to serve justice in this matter. The way my sister was murdered, we expect the government, the police, the judiciary, and everyone involved to serve justice. The case is in Nasarawa State, in Lafia, and the governor has already stated that in Lafia there is a Sharia Law that dictates that anyone found with a human body or any part of a human body will face the same fate as the person they killed. So, let the guy face justice. Let him just face justice,” she told us.

Timileyin Ajayi has been remanded in the Lafia custodial center of the Nigeria Correctional Service following a court order after the police charged him in the High Court of Justice, Lafia, with a one-count charge for culpable homicide punishable by death, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.

The police are awaiting the assignment of the charge to a trial court by the Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, after which a date for his arraignment will be determined.

Engr Amaya

The frequency of such tragedies weighs heavily on the families of the victims. Engr. Amaya, a corps member abducted by Boko Haram insurgents along the Maiduguri-Gwoza route, when the insurgents blocked their vehicle, and in a bizarre twist of fate, allowed the driver and the rest of the passengers, who were Muslims, to escape unscathed, leaving the terrified young Engr. Amaya, who is a Christian, at the mercy of his captors, has not been heard from since a single call in November 2024, where he assured his family of his survival.

We believe in God, He will bring him back to us one day

His family continues to hold onto hope, pleading for his safe return. “We believe in God, He will bring him back to us one day,” says his family member in a tearful voice, with a steadfast faith evident on his face, as he responds to The Insight.

Boniface Edet Umoh, another corps member, was recently freed after paying a ransom exceeding one million naira, while Rhoda Odeyale, a graduate eager to serve her nation, was released following a harrowing crowdfunding effort that raised 2.5 million naira.

Others, like Wisdom Djagbo, have faced similar fates, with ransom demands reaching as high as three million naira. The National Youth Service Corps, grappling with the dire situation, has been criticized for its lack of intervention, urging victims to await assistance from the Nigeria Police.

I survived, but many others are still living in fear

“I survived, but many others are still living in fear,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “We need to be protected while we serve our country,” said Fatima Sa’ad Mai-Dawa, who was kidnapped with her colleagues but escaped.

Ojo Caleb Temidayo, a serving corps member, was abducted on December 24, 2024, while traveling to his hometown, Ogotun Ekiti, Ekiti State, for Christmas celebrations.

Adewole Paul, a corps member returning from the NYSC camp in Enugu, was kidnapped, and his abductors demanded 30 million naira for his release. “Behold, the family could not boast of 100,000 naira in their account, not to mention 30 million naira,” said Ogbeni, who reported the case.

We need to be protected while we serve our country

Oluwadara Oluwaferanmi, a graduate of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, was kidnapped on her way back from the NYSC camp in Enugu to Akure. After completing the NYSC orientation and reporting to her PPA, she decided to return to collect her belongings. She left Enugu, and after reaching Ifon at 10:15 PM, we lost contact with her and after few days, we received a call from the kidnappers demanding a ransom of 30 million naira per head, said Joshua, who reported the case of his kidnapped sister.

Brig. Gen. YD Ahmed, DG, NYSC

As the nation grapples with the growing crisis, many cases remain unreported.

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