Kidnappers demand N1bn ransom for 20 Corps members, give families 24 hours

Gunmen who abducted prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Imo State have reportedly demanded N1 billion ransom and issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the victims’ families.

The victims were among passengers travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their respective NYSC orientation camps when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri–Onitsha Road around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on Thursday, October 1.

According to reports from the affected families, the abductors are demanding N50 million for each of the 20 prospective corps members, bringing the total demand to N1 billion.

The kidnappers reportedly contacted relatives using the mobile phones of some of the victims and threatened to harm them if the ransom was not paid within 24 hours.

The families reportedly sought intervention from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, while also appealing to security authorities to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.

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Speaking on behalf of the families, Alhaja Alimot Akande and Oyebola Akande appealed for urgent assistance, saying the families could not raise the amount demanded.

“They have been calling us since yesterday, demanding N50 million ransom for each child,” the families said, according to reports. They also appealed to the authorities to prevent harm from coming to the abducted youths.

The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, had earlier confirmed that a ransom demand had been made following the abduction.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, said he had been communicating with his Imo State counterpart over the incident.

“I had already contacted Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” Abimbola said.

He did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid or provide details of the operational strategy being used to rescue the victims.

Police Locate Suspected Hideout
The development comes as security agencies intensify efforts to rescue the abducted prospective corps members.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, said security operatives had located the suspected hideout of the abductors using drones.

Bosso said operatives tracked the suspects into the bush and used drone surveillance to establish the coordinates of the suspected camp.

However, security forces had yet to move into the location because intelligence indicated that the area could have been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

He said security agencies were preparing to deploy specialised equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to gain access to the location while minimising the danger to the hostages and rescuers.

The police had earlier reported the rescue of 10 people following the attack, while subsequent information from the Defence Headquarters indicated that 20 passengers had been abducted from the two buses, including prospective corps members.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to provide operational direction for the search-and-rescue mission.

The police said additional tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed, with the operation being conducted in coordination with other security agencies.Security agencies have continued efforts to safely reach the suspected hideout and rescue the abducted prospective corps members.