Abducted Corps Members Recount Ordeal, Say Kidnappers Fed Them Garri With Dirty Water

A survivor of the abduction of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Imo State has recounted how their captors assaulted them, restricted their communication with relatives and fed them dry garri with dirty water while they were held in a forest.

The survivor, who spoke in an interview with BBC Pidgin, said the kidnappers allowed the captives to contact their families but punished them whenever conversations contained statements the abductors disliked.

The victim said the abductors used guns to hit some of the captives and punched them with their hands, adding that the male victims were subjected to more frequent physical assaults.

The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

Gunmen reportedly attacked two buses conveying the travellers at about 6.30 a.m. along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million for each captive before reportedly reducing the amount.

The survivor explained that the group had made several stops during the journey before reaching Onitsha, where the driver advised them to spend the night because the next stage of the journey could be dangerous.

The passengers informed their families of the overnight stop and went to sleep, but later found themselves in captivity.

They were taken into a forest and subsequently moved deeper into an unfamiliar area, where they struggled to obtain food and safe drinking water.

Describing their living conditions, the survivor said the abductors gave them dry garri and muddy water, which they consumed because they had no alternative.

The victim also described the experience as deeply distressing, saying the captives struggled to comprehend their situation while facing threats and physical abuse.

Security agencies launched a search-and-rescue operation after the abduction. Police had earlier reported locating the kidnappers’ hideout through drone surveillance but said suspected improvised explosive devices around the camp complicated access.

The 20 prospective corps members were rescued on October 7 in a joint operation involving security agencies and taken for medical examination and treatment.

The survivor credited the Department of State Services with securing their release.

Following the rescue, the police said efforts were continuing to locate and arrest the kidnappers.