Parents paid millions to free 20 abducted NYSC members

Abimbola Joseph
Parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State have alleged that they paid between ₦3 million and ₦6 million each to secure their children’s release, contradicting the police account that security agencies rescued them.
The parents said they raised the money through personal contributions, loans and assistance from friends and supporters before delivering the ransom to the kidnappers.
However, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said the command was unaware of any ransom payment, insisting that sustained security operations forced the abductors to release their victims.
The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1, 2026, while travelling in two buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
They were reportedly ambushed at Ogbaku in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.
Parents recount ransom payments
One mother said she paid ₦3 million after struggling to raise the money while fearing for her child’s safety.
“I paid as much as ₦3 million as ransom while hoping that nothing happened to my child. I ran helter-skelter to raise the money. I eventually got the money and sent someone to deliver the ransom directly to them,” she said.
The father of another abducted prospective corps member said his family gathered in Ibadan to raise ₦6 million, with some relatives converting the money into dollars before it was delivered in Imo State.
“I am excited that my son is coming back. However, how do I repay the ₦6 million I borrowed? I’m just a farmer,” he said.
Another mother told News Central Television that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million for each victim before reducing the amount following negotiations.
She said the abductors later demanded ₦15 million but eventually agreed to accept ₦6 million after the families pleaded that they could not afford the higher sum.
According to her, the kidnappers instructed the families to send representatives to Ibadan and transfer the money to an account before converting it into US dollars for delivery in Imo State.
The mother said the ordeal had severely affected her health, adding that she had suffered persistent diarrhoea and sleepless nights since her child was abducted.
She said news of the victims’ release brought her considerable relief.
Parents dispute police rescue account
In a separate interview with BBC News Yoruba, a parent who requested anonymity said the families, with assistance from friends and online supporters, raised the money demanded by the kidnappers.
The parent disputed claims that security agencies secured the victims’ release, alleging that the ransom was paid in US dollars.
The parent also claimed that the Department of State Services (DSS), which was involved in the investigation, knew that the families had converted the money into dollars before delivering it to the abductors.
However, the claims have not been independently verified.
The Nigeria Police Force had announced on October 7 that the 20 prospective corps members were rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State after sustained search-and-rescue operations involving other security agencies.
The police said the victims were taken for medical assessment and necessary care, adding that efforts were continuing to track down and prosecute those responsible for the abduction.
Imo police deny ransom knowledge
Speaking to Channels Television, Bosso denied knowledge of any ransom payment for the 20 prospective corps members and another kidnapping victim reportedly released separately.
He maintained that pressure from security agencies forced the kidnappers to abandon their victims.
“The kidnappers eventually succumbed to pressure from security agencies, which combed the forest in a sustained rescue operation,” he said.
The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the victims’ release, with the parents insisting that ransom payments were central to securing their freedom.
Victims arrive in Ibadan
The 20 prospective corps members arrived in Ibadan on Thursday, October 8, and were taken to the DSS headquarters in the Aleshinloye area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area for debriefing.
At the time of reporting, only representatives of the victims’ parents had been allowed into the premises, while other relatives and sympathisers waited outside.
Meanwhile, one mother said she would not allow her child to continue with the NYSC scheme if the original posting remained unchanged, insisting that redeployment to a safer state, such as Oyo or Ogun, would be necessary.
The palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan also confirmed that the abducted prospective corps members had regained their freedom.