Parents Of 20 Abducted NYSC Members Allege Payment Of Millions In Ransom

Parents of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State have alleged that they paid millions of naira in ransom to secure their children’s release, contradicting the police account that the victims were rescued through sustained security operations.

 

Some parents reportedly paid N3 million, while others raised as much as N6 million after the kidnappers demanded huge sums for the release of the victims.

 

The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1, 2026, while travelling in two buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

 

The incident occurred at Ogbaku, in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.

 

One of the mothers told journalists that she struggled to raise N3 million while fearing for her child’s safety.

 

“I paid as much as ₦3 million as ransom while I was hoping that nothing happened to my child. I ran helter-skelter to raise the money. I eventually got the money and sent someone to deliver the ransom directly to them,” she said.

 

The father of another victim said his family and others pooled resources to raise N6 million, adding that some of them converted the money into dollars before it was delivered in Imo State.

 

“We had to converge somewhere in Ibadan, Oyo State, to put the money together. Some of us even changed the money to dollars and sent it to Imo State to meet whoever was coming to pick it,” he said.

 

While expressing relief that his son had been released, the father lamented the financial burden of raising the ransom.

 

“I am excited that my son is coming back. However, how do I repay the N6 million I borrowed? I’m just a farmer,” he added.

 

Another mother, speaking in an interview with News Central Television, said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim before reducing the amount following negotiations with the families.

 

“Initially, they asked us to pay N50 million per head. We asked whether the amount was for all of them, but they insisted that no, it was for each person,” she said.

 

According to her, the families continued pleading with the abductors, offering N500,000 before the kidnappers eventually demanded N6 million.

 

She said the kidnappers contacted the parents and instructed them to send representatives to a meeting in Ibadan, where they were given details for transferring the ransom.

 

The mother added that the representatives were instructed to convert the money into dollars upon arriving in Imo State before handing it over to the kidnappers.

 

Describing the psychological impact of the incident, she said she suffered persistent diarrhoea and sleeplessness throughout her child’s captivity.

 

“Since he was kidnapped, I have been stooling. I couldn’t sleep either. But I was relieved when I heard they had been released. It was as though the chains all over me were loosened,” she said.

 

Parent Disputes Police Rescue Account

 

In a separate interview with BBC News Yoruba, another parent, who spoke anonymously, also claimed that the families, supported by friends and people online, raised the money demanded by the kidnappers.

 

The parent alleged that the ransom was collected in US dollars and disputed claims that security agencies directly secured the victims’ release.

 

“Not a single person was responsible for securing the release of our children. The parents, alongside friends and support from people online, contributed money so that each parent could pay the amount demanded by the kidnappers,” the parent said.

 

The source, however, said the Department of State Services (DSS) was involved in the investigation and was aware that the families had converted the ransom into dollars before delivering it.

 

The claims contradict the account given by the Nigeria Police Force, which announced that the 20 prospective corps members were rescued on October 7 following sustained search-and-rescue operations.

 

In a statement, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the victims were recovered at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State and taken for medical assessment and necessary care.

 

“The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has rescued the 20 prospective NYSC corps members abducted in Imo State on 1st October 2026,” the statement read.

 

The police said efforts were ongoing to track down and prosecute those responsible for the abduction.

 

Imo Police Deny Knowledge Of Ransom

 

However, the Imo State Police Command said it had no knowledge of any ransom payment for the release of the 20 prospective corps members and another kidnapping victim who was also freed.

 

Speaking with Channels Television, the state Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, maintained that the victims regained their freedom after security operatives intensified pressure on the abductors.

 

“The kidnappers eventually succumbed to pressure from security agencies, which combed the forest in a sustained rescue operation,” Bosso said.

 

He said tactical teams forced the kidnappers to abandon their victims and flee, insisting that the operation by security agencies led to their release.

 

The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the victims’ freedom, particularly the alleged ransom payments and the role played by security agencies.

 

Rescued Corps Members Arrive In Ibadan

 

Meanwhile, the 20 prospective corps members arrived in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday and were taken to the DSS headquarters in the Aleshinloye area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area for debriefing.

 

The palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan had also issued a statement confirming that the victims had regained their freedom.

 

Following the ordeal, one of the mothers said she would not allow her child to continue with the NYSC scheme if the original posting remained unchanged, insisting that redeployment to safer states, including Oyo or Ogun, would be necessary.

 

The victims’ release has brought relief to their families, but the conflicting accounts from parents and security authorities have left unanswered questions about how the release was secured and whether ransom was paid.