Kidnappers beat 20 abducted corps members as ransom drops to ₦5m each

The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members abducted in Imo State are reportedly being subjected to physical assault by their captors, as the kidnappers reduced their ransom demand from ₦50 million to ₦5 million per victim.

 

The prospective corps members were abducted last Thursday while travelling from Ibadan to their respective NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

 

Their vehicles were attacked by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.

 

One of the affected parents, Alhaja Alimot Akande, said the abductors had begun beating the victims, including the female corps members.

 

She described the situation as “horrible, scary and overwhelming”, appealing to the government to intensify efforts to secure their release.

 

“They are not sparing anybody. They are beating all of them,” Akande said.

 

According to her, the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million for each of the 20 victims but had now reduced the ransom to ₦5 million per person.

 

She said the reduction had not eased the anxiety of the families, as the victims remained in captivity and were allegedly being assaulted.

 

Akande also disclosed that one of the abducted corps members had been allowed to speak with his father, with the kidnappers allegedly monitoring the communication because they believed the family could raise the ransom.

 

The parents have appealed to the government and security agencies to urgently intervene and rescue the victims.

 

They also accused the transport company, Eduak King Transport Company in Samonda, Ibadan, of allegedly refusing to provide a next-of-kin list for passengers aboard the two buses.

 

One of the affected mothers, Mrs Iyabo Akande, called on the Inspector-General of Police and relevant authorities to investigate the transport company and hold anyone found culpable accountable.

 

Another parent, Mr Olawale Olaleye, expressed concern that the company continued operating despite the incident, saying parents who visited its premises found another vehicle being loaded.

 

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government said it was working closely with the Imo State Government and security agencies to secure the release of the abducted graduates.

 

The state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said Oyo was using its experience from the recent Oriire abduction crisis in its engagement with authorities in Imo State.

 

“We are in close contact at government-to-government level and actively working with the security apparatus in Oyo and Imo states,” Oyelade said.

 

He, however, said the government would not disclose details of its strategy because of the sensitive nature of the operation.

 

Oyelade also called for greater accountability from the Federal Government, saying the federal authorities and the Commander-in-Chief have primary responsibility for national security.

 

He assured residents that Oyo State would continue working to secure the release of its citizens.

 

“Oyo State government has not and will not abandon its citizens. We will continue to work endlessly and desperately to secure the release of our children,” he said.

 

The Imo State Police Command, meanwhile, confirmed that the prospective corps members remained in captivity.

 

The command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, said tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed alongside other security agencies to rescue the victims and arrest the suspected abductors.

 

He said police had recovered both buses and rescued 10 victims at the scene, while efforts were ongoing to establish the exact number of people abducted.

 

Okoye said coordinated search-and-rescue operations, backed by intelligence-led tracking, were ongoing, while security personnel remained deployed along the affected section of the expressway.