.
.
By 247ureports.com
The mother of one of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State has said her family paid N6 million to secure her son’s release, a disclosure that sits uneasily with the Police’s announcement that the victims were rescued in a joint security operation.
The Mother’s Account
Alirat Wahab, speaking in Yoruba in an interview with News Central Television on Wednesday, said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim. The family at first thought that figure covered all the abductees, until the abductors clarified it was per person. After days of negotiation, the demand came down to N15 million. “We kept begging them that all we had was N5.5 million. They said no and insisted on N6 million. So, it’s that N6 million we paid,” she said. She added that the family had earlier pleaded with the kidnappers to accept N500,000, which they refused.
Wahab said families were directed to send representatives to Ibadan to arrange payment, with her husband and elder son travelling on the family’s behalf. It was her elder son who handed over the money and later called to say his brother had been freed. “But I was relieved when I heard they had been released,” she said.
Other Families Also Paid
Wahab was not the only parent to speak. The father of another abducted corps member told News Central TV his family also paid N6 million, saying he borrowed the money and does not know how he will repay it. Other reports say families pooled funds in Ibadan and converted part of the money to dollars before it was delivered in Imo State. One report says relatives of some of the victims paid between N3 million and N6 million each, while another account says the demand was later reduced to N5 million per victim, or N100 million for all 20.
What Happened
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on Thursday, October 1, when gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses carrying passengers from Ibadan along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway. They were travelling to Bende in Abia State and Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, according to reports. On October 7, the Nigeria Police Force announced that it had rescued all 20 “in collaboration with sister security agencies,” and that they had been taken for medical assessment and care.
Police Position
The Imo State Police Command said it was not aware that any ransom was paid for the release of the corps members. The police statement announcing the rescue did not address whether families paid ransom. Security officials had earlier attributed the victims’ freedom to a coordinated rescue operation.
Wider Concern
The families’ accounts add to public unease over how kidnapping cases are resolved. An ICIR analysis estimates that kidnappers demanded about N22.9 billion in ransom across recorded cases and received roughly N7.78 billion, meaning about 34 per cent of recorded demands were reportedly paid. Online reaction to the mother’s interview has been sharp, with many asking whether the victims were rescued or released after payment.
247ureports.com could not independently verify the total sum paid across all 20 families, or whether any rescue operation took place alongside the payments. Both accounts may be partly true: security agencies may have been active while families negotiated and paid separately.
