20 Freed Corps Members: HURIWA Demands Probe Into Alleged N6m Ransom

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for an independent investigation into conflicting accounts surrounding the release of 20 abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

The association also urged the federal government, the Imo State Government and the Nigeria Police Force to clarify the circumstances surrounding the victims’ release, particularly allegations by some parents that ransom was paid despite official statements that the victims were freed without payment.

HURIWA’s national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Imo State governor Hope Uzodimma, to explain their respective positions and apologise to Nigerians if investigations established that official statements created a misleading impression about how the victims regained their freedom.

The controversy follows conflicting accounts of the operation that led to the release of the prospective corps members. While the police attributed their release to sustained search-and-rescue operations at Amakohia Ubi village in Imo State, the state government maintained that no ransom was paid.

However, accounts attributed to some parents suggest that substantial sums were raised and allegedly paid to secure the victims’ freedom.

One of the mothers, Alirat Wahab, reportedly told News Central Television that her family raised ₦6 million after the kidnappers demanded money for the release of their son.

According to her account, the abductors initially demanded ₦50 million for each of the 20 victims before negotiations reduced the amount sought from her family.

“We only had ₦5.5m at the time, but they insisted on ₦6m,” she reportedly said.

Her husband also claimed that the parents pooled resources, obtained loans and solicited financial assistance from relatives, friends and sympathisers to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

Reacting to the allegations, HURIWA said the conflicting accounts required an impartial investigation rather than leaving Nigerians to draw conclusions from competing narratives.

The association stressed that an alleged ransom payment and a security operation were not necessarily mutually exclusive, arguing that the authorities needed to establish what happened before the victims were released.

“The critical questions are whether ransom was paid, whether security operatives conducted a rescue operation, and how these circumstances relate to the victims’ eventual release,” the association said.

HURIWA called on the Inspector-General of Police to provide a detailed account of the operation and clarify whether the police were aware of any ransom negotiations or payments before the victims regained their freedom.

It also urged the Imo State Government to explain the basis of its denial of ransom payment and reconcile its position with accounts attributed to the affected families.

The association warned that failure to address the conflicting accounts could further undermine public confidence in security institutions at a time when Nigerians were demanding greater transparency and more effective action against kidnapping.