The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State are allegedly being physically assaulted by their captors, including the female victims, as the kidnappers have reportedly reduced their ransom demand to N5 million per person.
The development has increased concern among the victims’ families as the reported deadline issued by the abductors for payment of the ransom approaches.
Alhaja Alimot Akande, whose 25-year-old sister, Kehinde Akande, is among those abducted, said the victims had reportedly been beaten since Saturday.
She described the situation as “horrible, scary and overwhelming” and appealed to the government to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted graduates.
According to Akande, the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim but have now reduced the amount to N5 million.
“They are still demanding N5 million. They have come down to N5 million each,” she said.
When asked whether the N5 million demand applied to each of the 20 abducted corps members, she confirmed: “Yes.”
Akande said she could not disclose how much money had been raised so far because she was not involved in the discussions between the kidnappers and some of the other families.
“I cannot say because I do not know how much they have told those people that they have,” she said.
‘They Are Beating All of Them’
Akande said her sister informed her that the abductors had begun assaulting the victims.
“Sir, we appeal to the government to please assist us in getting them rescued out of that place. When I spoke to my sister, they started beating them since yesterday,” she said.
She also confirmed that the female victims were allegedly being subjected to the same treatment.
“They are not sparing anybody. They are beating all of them,” Akande said.
She further disclosed that one of the abducted corps members had been allowed to speak with his father, although the kidnappers allegedly monitored the communication.
According to her, the abductors would alert the victim whenever his father called and then allow him to speak while apparently using the conversations to assess the family’s ability to raise the demanded ransom.
Akande said families were still relying on assurances from the police while making efforts to raise the money.
“The police are telling us to still be buying time. We are still looking for the money. Depending, they will see them rescued,” she said.
She confirmed that her own family was directly affected, identifying her abducted sister as 25-year-old Kehinde.
Oyo Government Engages Imo, Security Agencies
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government says it is working with the Imo State Government and security agencies to support efforts to rescue the abducted graduates.
Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the state government remained actively involved despite the incident occurring outside Oyo.
He said the state was drawing from its experience handling the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
“We are in close contacts at government-to-government level and actively with the security apparatus in Oyo and Imo states,” Oyelade said.
“We are volunteering our template and experiences garnered during the Oriire kidnapping, and the report of the Judicial Inquiry just submitted last week by the Hon. Justice (Professor) Mojeed Owoade Panel is coming in handy in our bilateral discussions on the matter.”
Oyelade explained that some details of the government’s strategy could not be made public because of the sensitive nature of the rescue operation.
“Governments all over the world are not in the habit of disclosing all they are planning in delicate situations like this,” he said.
However, he said responsibility for the broader national security response should also be directed at the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief.
“The pushback should be on the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who are in charge of national security, on what they have done in 72 hours,” Oyelade said.
He also recalled Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent intervention over the abduction of students in Borno State, noting that the Borno incident occurred on the same day as the Oriire abduction.
According to Oyelade, Makinde had appealed to the Federal Government to accelerate efforts to rescue the Borno students.
The commissioner maintained that the location of the abduction would not stop Oyo State from assisting its citizens.
“Oyo State Government had not and will not abandon its citizens. We will continue to work endlessly and desperately to secure the release of our children,” he said.
How the 20 Graduates Were Abducted
The prospective corps members were abducted on Thursday while travelling from Ibadan to their various NYSC orientation camps in two buses.
The vehicles were reportedly attacked by gunmen around Umunoha on the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
The graduates were travelling to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the attack occurred.
The incident immediately triggered concern among their families, particularly after the kidnappers allegedly demanded N50 million for each victim.
With 20 people reportedly held captive, the initial ransom demand amounted to N1 billion.
The abductors were also said to have given the families a 24-hour deadline to raise the money.
Parents Seek Olubadan’s Intervention
Following the initial ransom demand, parents and relatives of the abducted graduates sought the intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
The families visited the monarch at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, accompanied by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.
The parents told the monarch they could not raise the N1 billion demanded by the kidnappers.
“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand of N50 million ransom each. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed to their request,” the parents said.
“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children.”
Ladoja assured the families that efforts were being made to secure the victims’ safe return.
“I want to assure that your children would be rescued unharmed. We will relate whatever information we gather to you,” he said.
“The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself, police are up to the task, and nothing would happen to your children.”
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola, also disclosed that he had remained in contact with his Imo counterpart since the attack.
“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.
The reported reduction of the ransom to N5 million per victim comes as families continue to seek the safe release of the 20 prospective corps members and authorities maintain efforts to locate and rescue them.
