Parents of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted in Imo State have said their children’s captors gave them 24 hours to raise N1 billion in ransom.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states on Thursday, October 1, when gunmen attacked two buses conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The abductors reportedly demanded N50 million for each of the 20 victims.
The affected parents disclosed the ransom demand on Saturday when they visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his residence in Bodija, Ibadan. The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, were also present.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Alhaja Halima Akande and Oyebola Michael Akande said the abductors had been contacting them through the mobile phones of the victims.
“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand for N50 million each as ransom. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed their request.
“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children,” they appealed.
The parents urged the Olubadan and the police to intervene and secure the immediate release of the victims.
Ladoja assured the families that efforts were being made to rescue the abducted graduates safely.
“I want to assure that your children will be rescued unharmed. We will relate whatever information we gather to you.
“The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself, police are up to the task, and nothing would happen to your children,” he said.
Abimbola said he had been in contact with his Imo State counterpart over the incident and was assured that the victims would be rescued unharmed.
“I have already contacted Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of the incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” he said.
The commissioner did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid.
The Imo State Police Command said it had located the suspected camp where the abducted corps members were being held, but security operatives were yet to enter the area because of intelligence indicating that the routes and camp may have been fitted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The state Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, said drones were deployed on Friday after security operatives tracked the abductors into the bush.
According to him, the security team traced the suspects to a particular location but could not proceed further because of the reported presence of explosives.
“Yesterday, we were in the bush, we trailed them up to a particular location, but at that point in time, we could not move into where the coordinate showed us they were.
“But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,” Bosso said.
He said the security agencies were preparing to enter the area with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to minimise the risk to both the victims and the rescue teams.
“We are moving in there with high-velocity vehicles; that is bulldozers. We are moving in with bulldozers and APCs to see how we’re going to rescue the victims unhurt,” he said.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation.
Nadada arrived in the state with two Commissioners of Police and conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the incident and the ongoing rescue efforts.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, the DIG reviewed the deployment of personnel and operational assets and issued additional directives to strengthen the operation.
He was accompanied by Bosso; the Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations, Akpan Anifiok; and the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force.
The police said additional tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed to areas identified through intelligence gathering.
The operation is also being supported by intelligence-led tracking of the suspected abductors, with the police working alongside other security agencies to rescue the victims and arrest those responsible.
Nadada assured residents that the operation would continue until the victims were rescued.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to securing the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and will sustain the operation until the mission is successfully concluded,” he said.
He appealed to residents and the media to remain calm and vigilant and urged anyone with credible information that could assist the rescue operation to contact the police or the nearest security formation.
The Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has also called for improved intelligence gathering and stronger coordination among security agencies following the abduction.
In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the organisation said the incident highlighted the need for faster responses to security threats, particularly along major highways.
The group expressed concern over the safety of young Nigerians travelling for national service and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.
It also called for closer cooperation among security agencies, improved intelligence-sharing and faster response mechanisms to protect communities and travellers from criminal attacks.
The organisation said the incident reflected wider security challenges confronting Nigerians travelling between states for work, education and other national assignments.
It acknowledged the efforts and sacrifices of security personnel but said those efforts needed to be backed by systems that would allow agencies to share intelligence, identify emerging threats and respond more quickly to attacks.
