Families of 19 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states have been thrown into distress after their captors reportedly demanded a total ransom of ₦950 million.
The corps members were travelling in two buses when gunmen reportedly attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, confirmed the development in an interview with PUNCH, revealing that the abductors demanded ₦50 million for each of the 19 victims.
According to Akpan, the two buses departed from Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday but encountered heavy traffic around Benin, Edo State, which delayed their journey.
He said the buses eventually arrived in Onitsha, Anambra State, late that day. Due to the condition of the road, the drivers decided not to continue the journey and spent the night in Oba.
Akpan explained that the buses resumed their journey at about 5am on Thursday and had barely entered Imo State when gunmen reportedly emerged from the bush and blocked their path.
The drivers, however, managed to escape and alerted security personnel at a nearby checkpoint, prompting police and military personnel to commence a search for the abducted passengers.
The search operation was reportedly complicated after some villagers allegedly prevented security personnel from immediately removing the abandoned buses from the scene.
Akpan said the development delayed the movement of the security personnel as they attempted to pursue the abductors.
The two buses were eventually left at the scene, with the passengers’ belongings reportedly scattered inside the vehicles.
He said the attackers took 19 passengers into the bush.
“They blocked the two vehicles and took 19 passengers, all corps members, into the bush,” Akpan said.
Meanwhile, a parent of one of the abducted corps members told PUNCH that the kidnappers contacted her using her son’s phone and demanded ₦50 million for his release.
“The kidnappers called with my son’s phone this morning (Friday) and demanded N50m for his release. The N50m is for only my son,” she said.
Another mother, identified as Mrs Oladosu, whose daughter, Greatness, was travelling to Uyo, also recounted the family’s terrifying experience.
According to her, the abductors briefly contacted the family using Greatness’ phone and conducted a video call during which the family saw Greatness and some of the other abducted corps members sitting on the ground in the bush.
“They used my daughter’s number to call us. We saw her and other corps members sitting on the ground in the bush, crying. Where will petty traders get N50m? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?” she lamented.
