“They Demanded N50m, We Settled for N6m to Free My Son” — NYSC Victim’s Mother

By Taibat Ummi Yakubu

The family of one of the prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State has disclosed that it paid N6 million to secure his release after kidnappers initially demanded N50 million.

The victim’s mother, Alirat Wahab, said the ransom demand was later reduced following negotiations between the abductors and families of the victims, who were desperate to see their children return home alive.

Wahab, speaking during an interview with News Central Television, said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each of the abducted prospective corps members.

She said the family pleaded with the abductors to accept N500,000 but the request was rejected. According to her, the demand was later reduced to N15 million before negotiations eventually brought it down to N6 million for her son.

“Initially, they asked us to pay N50 million per head,” she said, explaining that the family was initially uncertain whether the amount covered all the victims or each individual.

Wahab said relatives of the affected victims were later directed to travel to Ibadan to facilitate the ransom payment. Her husband and elder son were among those who went on behalf of the family.

She said the family eventually received confirmation that the ransom had been delivered and was subsequently able to speak with her son after his release.

The experience, she said, left her physically and emotionally distressed.

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Wahab revealed that she had struggled to sleep and suffered from a severe stomach upset throughout the period her son was held captive. She described the moment she learnt of his release as one of immense relief.

The disclosure came shortly after security agencies announced the rescue of the remaining prospective corps members, bringing an end to a week-long ordeal that had unsettled their families and raised fresh concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to orientation camps.

The victims were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when their buses were attacked in Imo State.

The abduction immediately drew widespread concern because of the number of young graduates involved and the fact that the incident occurred on a major interstate route used by travellers moving between different parts of the country.

Security agencies initially rescued some of the victims but continued intelligence-driven operations to locate those who had been taken into the bush.

Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, had disclosed that drone surveillance was used to identify the location of the kidnappers’ camp. However, he said operatives could not immediately storm the area after intelligence suggested that improvised explosive devices had been planted around the location.

Additional operational equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, was subsequently deployed to help security personnel gain access to the area while reducing the risk to the hostages and the rescuers.

The Nigeria Police Force later announced that the remaining 20 prospective corps members were rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State during a joint operation involving the police, military and the Department of State Services.

The rescued victims were taken for medical evaluation and other necessary care.

With the prospective corps members now reunited with their families, security agencies have shifted attention to the investigation, with efforts ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.