Families of prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State say kidnappers have demanded N50 million for each victim and issued a 24-hour ultimatum.
The families reportedly made the appeal during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Bodija, Ibadan, where they sought intervention to secure the victims’ safe release. Tribune reported that the parents said the abductors had contacted them using the mobile phones of the kidnapped prospective corps members.
There is an important discrepancy in the figures circulating about the incident. Earlier reports referred to 20 prospective corps members, while subsequent reporting citing security authorities gave a broader breakdown of passengers abducted and rescued. Vanguard reported that 20 people were initially abducted and that 10 passengers, including eight identified prospective corps members, had subsequently been rescued.
The police have also escalated the search operation. Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu deployed Deputy Inspector-General of Police Shehu Nadada to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation, with additional tactical teams and operational resources deployed to locate the remaining victims.
Ransom Figure: Important SEO/Editorial Correction
Your supplied copy says the families were asked to pay N1 billion each, but the quoted account in the same copy says the kidnappers demanded N50 million each.
Current reporting also points to a N50 million-per-victim demand. One report calculates the total demand for 19 prospective corps members at N950 million, while another report quotes the parents describing a N50 million ransom per victim.