Families of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State have raised fresh concerns over the safety of the victims after the kidnappers allegedly began beating them.
The victims, who were travelling from Ibadan to their respective NYSC orientation camps, were reportedly abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
One of the affected relatives, Alhaja Alimot Akande, said her 25-year-old sister, Kehinde Akande, was among those abducted.
Akande described the situation as “horrible, scary and overwhelming” and appealed to the government to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.
Kidnappers Reduce Ransom Demand
According to Akande, the kidnappers have reduced their initial ransom demand from N50 million per victim to N5 million each.
She confirmed that the latest demand was still N5 million for each of the 20 abducted graduates.
The initial demand of N50 million per victim would have amounted to N1 billion for all 20 victims.
Akande said she could not confirm how much money had been raised by the families, explaining that she was not involved in arrangements between the abductors and other affected families.
She also said the victims were allegedly being beaten.
“When I spoke to my sister, they started beating them,” Akande said, appealing to the government to intervene and rescue them.
She said the abductors were allegedly not sparing the female victims.
According to her, all the abducted graduates were being subjected to the alleged assault.
Abductors Monitor Calls to Victims’ Families
Akande further disclosed that one of the abducted corps members had been allowed to speak with his father.
She alleged that the kidnappers monitored the communication as part of an effort to assess the family’s ability to raise the ransom.
According to her, the abductors would alert the victim whenever his father called and then allow him to speak with him.
The families have continued to rely on assurances from security agencies while efforts to raise money and secure the victims’ release continue.
Akande said the police had asked the families to buy more time as efforts were being made to resolve the situation.
Oyo Government Engages Imo Authorities
The Oyo State Government has confirmed that it is engaging the Imo State Government and security agencies over the abduction.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the government was actively involved in efforts to secure the release of the victims despite the incident occurring outside the state.
Oyelade said Oyo was drawing on its experience from the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area in its discussions with authorities in Imo State.
He said the state was maintaining contact with both government officials and security agencies in Oyo and Imo.
“We are volunteering our template and experiences garnered during the Oriire kidnapping,” Oyelade said.
The commissioner explained that some details of the government’s strategy could not be made public because of the sensitive nature of the rescue operation.
He, however, called for answers from the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces regarding the broader national security response.
Oyelade also said the abduction of the graduates in Imo State did not absolve the Oyo State Government of its responsibility to its citizens.
He assured the families that the government would continue working to secure the release of the victims.
How 20 Prospective Corps Members Were Abducted
The 20 prospective corps members were reportedly abducted on Thursday while travelling from Ibadan to their respective NYSC orientation camps in two buses.
The buses were attacked by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The graduates were reportedly travelling to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the incident occurred.
The abduction triggered anxiety among the victims’ families, particularly after the kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million for each victim.
The families said the abductors issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the ransom to be raised.
Unable to raise the initial N1 billion demand, the parents sought the intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
The parents visited the monarch at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, accompanied by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.
The families appealed to the monarch to intervene, saying they could not afford the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
Olubadan Assures Families of Rescue
Ladoja assured the families that efforts were being made to secure the victims’ release.
He said information gathered during the rescue efforts would be communicated to the affected families and expressed confidence that the victims would be rescued unharmed.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola, also said he had remained in contact with his Imo counterpart since the incident.
According to the police commissioner, the Imo State Commissioner of Police had assured him that efforts were underway to rescue the victims unharmed.
The latest development, including the alleged beating of the victims and the reduction of the ransom demand to N5 million each, has increased pressure on authorities to secure their safe release.
The families are continuing to appeal for urgent intervention as security agencies and the Oyo State Government engage their counterparts in Imo State over the rescue operation.