Abducted NYSC Members: Don’t Let Kidnappers Kill Our Children — Parents Beg Olubadan, Oyo CP

Parents of prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted while travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps have appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, to help secure their children’s safe release.

The parents made the appeal on Saturday when they visited the Olubadan at his residence in Bodija, Ibadan, following the abduction of their children in Imo State.

The prospective corps members were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen reportedly attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area.

According to reports, the victims were travelling in buses operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors when the attackers intercepted the vehicles and took passengers into the bush.

The parents said the abductors had contacted them and demanded ransom for the release of the victims. They appealed to the traditional ruler and security authorities to intervene before the situation worsened.

One of the parents reportedly pleaded with the authorities not to allow the kidnappers to harm their children, stressing that the families were deeply worried about their safety.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, accompanied the families during the visit and assured them that security agencies were working to rescue the abducted prospective corps members.

The police have launched search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with other security agencies following the incident.

The development has generated concern among families and residents in Oyo State, particularly because the victims were travelling for the mandatory national youth service programme.

The Olubadan reportedly assured the parents that efforts would be made to engage relevant authorities and support moves aimed at securing the victims’ safe release.

The abduction occurred amid heightened concerns over insecurity along major highways in the South-East and other parts of the country.

Security agencies have continued efforts to locate the abductors and establish the whereabouts of the victims.

The families have urged the authorities to treat the rescue operation as an emergency, stressing that the safety of the abducted youths should remain the priority.

They also appealed to anyone with useful information about the victims or their abductors to provide it to security agencies.

As of Saturday, efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the prospective corps members, while their families continued to await positive news about their safety.