Families of prospective National Youth Service Corps members from Oyo State have been thrown into panic after kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million for each victim abducted in Imo State.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, whose company operates the buses, confirmed the abduction.
Akpan said the kidnappers had contacted some of the victims’ families and demanded N50 million for each abducted passenger.
According to him, the two buses left Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday but were delayed by heavy traffic around Benin, Edo State.
The buses eventually reached Onitsha, Anambra State, late that day. Due to the condition of the road, the drivers and passengers decided to spend the night in Oba before resuming their journey the following morning.
Akpan said the buses left Oba at about 5am on Thursday and had barely entered Imo State when gunmen emerged from the bush, blocked the vehicles and forced 19 passengers into the bush.
“They blocked the two vehicles and took 19 passengers, all corps members, into the bush,” he said.
The drivers reportedly escaped and alerted security personnel at a nearby checkpoint, after which police and military personnel launched a search for the abductors.
Akpan said the operation was initially delayed after some villagers allegedly prevented security personnel from moving the abandoned buses from the scene.
The buses were eventually left at the location, with some passengers’ belongings scattered inside.
Less than 24 hours after the incident, the Imo State Police Command announced that 10 victims had been rescued.
However, it remains unclear whether the 10 rescued persons were among the corps members abducted from the two buses.
Families Seek Government Intervention
The reported ransom demands have heightened anxiety among relatives of the missing graduates, with some parents appealing to the Nigerian Government and state authorities to secure their children’s release.
Olawale Olaleke said his son was among those posted to Abia State but was kidnapped before reaching his destination.
Another parent, Olawale Olalere, appealed to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
He said the families were informed of the abduction after the buses left Onitsha for Imo State.
“We are here to appeal to the government to come to our rescue. This morning, when they confirmed that they have been kidnapped, they’re already demanding N50 million naira on each victim,” he said.
Mrs Oladosu said her daughter, Greatness, was travelling to Uyo when she was abducted.
According to her, the kidnappers briefly contacted the family using her daughter’s phone and allowed them to see Greatness and other victims during a video call.
She said the victims were seen sitting on the ground in the bush and crying.
“Where will petty traders get N50 million? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?” she said.
Another victim’s mother, Alimotu Akanke, said her son, Akande Farouq, who was posted to Abia State, managed to send a brief message to the family before communication was lost.
Farouq reportedly sent the word “Kidnappers!” to the family’s WhatsApp group before his phone went off.
Friends and relatives of the victims have also launched social media campaigns seeking assistance and calling for their safe release.
A manifest from the two buses reportedly listed 30 passengers, with 15 people in each vehicle. However, the number of people actually abducted and the identities of those rescued have yet to be fully clarified.
Oyo Government Reacts
The Oyo State Government has condemned the abduction and assured the affected families that efforts were being made to secure the victims’ release.
The assurance was given at the state government secretariat when some of the victims’ families visited in protest over the incident.
The Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Sunday Odukoya, who received the group, appealed for calm and said the governor was working with relevant stakeholders on the situation.
Security Agencies Launch Search
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, said security agencies were pursuing the abductors and had launched a coordinated operation to rescue the remaining victims.
The police and military are continuing efforts to locate the abducted corps members and establish the circumstances surrounding the reported rescue of 10 people.
Families of the victims are awaiting further information from the security agencies as the search operation continues.