NYSC Kidnap: Families reveal N6m ransom payments before Corps members’ rescue

By Anuoluwa Amao

Families of rescued National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have revealed that they paid millions of naira in ransom before their loved ones were rescued by security agencies.

The families said they were forced to raise huge sums to secure the safety of the corps members while they remained in the custody of their abductors.

The 20 corps members and another passenger were rescued on Wednesday after spending six days in captivity during a joint security operation involving the military and the Department of State Services (DSS).

However, relatives of some of the victims told News Central Television that they had already paid between N3 million and N6 million to the kidnappers before the rescue operation.

One of the mothers said she paid N3 million after struggling to raise the money demanded by the abductors.

“I ran helter-skelter to raise the money. I eventually got the money and sent someone to Imo State to deliver the ransom,” she said.

The father of one of the abducted corps members also disclosed that families had to pool resources to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

“We had to converge somewhere in Ibadan, Oyo State, to put the money together. Some of us even changed the money to dollars and sent it to Imo State to meet whoever was coming to pick it,” he said.

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According to him, he personally paid N6 million for the release of his son, but had to borrow the money.

“I am excited that my son is coming back. However, how do I repay the N6 million I borrowed? I’m just a farmer,” he said.

The revelations highlight the financial toll of kidnapping on victims’ families, even after the victims have regained their freedom.

The rescued corps members are currently receiving medical attention following their ordeal in captivity.

While their release has brought relief to their families, those who spoke about the ransom payments said they were now confronted with significant debts incurred while trying to secure the lives of their loved ones.

The incident has again raised concerns over the growing burden of ransom payments on families of kidnapping victims and the wider security challenges along major highways in the South-East.