NYSC abduction: Families raise millions as Imo denies ransom
Families of the 20 prospective corps members abducted in Imo State have disclosed how they allegedly raised millions of naira to secure their children’s release, deepening the controversy over the circumstances surrounding their rescue.
While the Imo State Government insists that no ransom was paid, relatives of the victims said they borrowed money, solicited contributions and sent millions of naira to Imo after negotiating with the kidnappers.
One mother said she raised and paid N3m, while another family disclosed that it paid N6m for the release of their son.
“I paid as much as N3 million as ransom. I ran helter-skelter to raise the money. I eventually got the money and sent someone to Imo State to deliver the ransom,” one of the mothers told News Central Television.
Another parent said his family borrowed N6m and sent representatives to Imo State after parents of the victims pooled resources.
“We had to converge somewhere in Ibadan to put the money together. Some of us even changed the money to dollars and sent it to Imo State to meet whoever was coming to pick it,” the father said.
He was left with a fresh financial burden after his son regained his freedom.
“I am excited that my son is coming back. However, how do I repay the N6 million I borrowed? I’m just a farmer,” he said.
The accounts came barely 24 hours after security agencies announced the rescue of the 20 prospective corps members abducted while travelling to their NYSC orientation camp.
The families’ claims, however, directly conflict with the position of the Imo State Government, which has maintained that the victims were released without ransom.
The police said the victims were rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village following sustained search-and-rescue operations.
The conflicting accounts have left unanswered questions over how the victims were actually released and whether money changed hands before their freedom was secured.
The families’ claims have not been independently verified.
The victims were reportedly among graduates travelling from Ibadan to their orientation camp in Abia State when they were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha road.
Following their rescue, the police said they were taken for medical assessment and necessary care, while efforts continued to apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
For the affected families, however, the rescue has come with another price: debts incurred in their desperate efforts to bring their children home.
