Abducted NYSC Members: Kidnappers Slash Ransom to N100m as Outrage Mounts

Kidnappers holding 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps in Imo State have reportedly reduced their ransom demand from N1 billion to N100 million as outrage mounts over the abduction.

The abductors initially demanded N50 million for each victim but have now reduced the amount to N5 million per person, according to the victims’ families.

The prospective corps members were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State.

The latest development has not eased the anxiety of the victims’ relatives, who say the abducted graduates are being subjected to physical assault while the families struggle to raise the ransom.

One of the affected parents, Alimot Akande, said the abductors had established contact with the families and informed them of the reduction in the ransom.

She alleged that the captives had been beaten and appealed to the government to urgently intervene to secure their release.

Akande said the kidnappers had also allowed one of the victims to speak with his father, apparently to assess the family’s ability to raise the demanded ransom.

She said the families remained uncertain about how much had been raised so far, adding that they were relying on assurances from security agencies that the victims would be rescued.

The abduction has generated widespread outrage, with calls for urgent action to protect the prospective corps members and secure their safe release.

Security agencies have continued efforts to locate the abductors and rescue the victims. Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, previously disclosed that security operatives had tracked the kidnappers to a suspected camp in the bush.

According to him, drones were used to identify the location, but the rescue operation was delayed because intelligence indicated that the area could have been planted with improvised explosive devices.

Security personnel are preparing to move into the area with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, as they seek to avoid casualties during the operation.

The incident has also triggered renewed concerns about the safety of young Nigerians travelling to fulfil their national service obligations.

Parents and other stakeholders have called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims unharmed and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.

The families continue to await a breakthrough as the deadline issued by the kidnappers and the reported condition of the captives heighten pressure on authorities to act swiftly