DSS Moves Freed Prospective Corps Members To Ibadan, Parent Alleges N6m Ransom Payment

The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members rescued after being abducted while travelling to their orientation camps have arrived in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

On arrival, they were taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) state headquarters for debriefing.

The prospective corps members arrived at the DSS office in the Aleshinloye area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area on Wednesday, following their release from captivity.

It was gathered that only representatives of the victims’ parents were allowed access to the DSS premises, while other relatives and sympathisers remained outside the facility.

Meanwhile, the family of one of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo has disclosed how it raised N6 million ransom allegedly demanded by the kidnappers through loans and contributions from relatives, friends and other well-wishers.

The victim’s mother, Alirat Wahab, said individuals contributed between N5,000 and N50,000 to help the family meet the ransom demand after the abductors initially demanded N50 million for each of the victims.

Wahab, who spoke in separate interviews with journalists on the issue following the release of the victims, said the demand was reduced to N5 million during negotiations before the kidnappers later raised it to N15 million.

She said the family eventually negotiated the amount down to N6 million after repeatedly pleading with the abductors.

“They first said N50 million per child. We pleaded because each child was given the phone for about two minutes, and then they would take it back.

“As we kept pleading, they initially agreed to N5 million, but later refused. They started… we became scared. About three days ago, they said they would collect N15 million from us.

“We started pleading again, saying we only had N5.5 million at the time, but they insisted on N6 million,” she said.

According to her, the parents of the abducted prospective corps members subsequently met in Ibadan to coordinate efforts to secure their children’s release.

She said representatives of the families were directed to travel to Imo State with the money and convert it to dollars rather than transfer it to a bank account.

“When they got there, they discussed that we should not send the money through an account. By the time they got to Imo State, they should go and convert it to dollars. When they arrived, they converted it to dollars,” she said.

Wahab said raising the money placed a heavy financial burden on the family, which had to borrow funds while relatives, friends and other members of the public contributed towards the ransom.

“It was other people who helped us so our money could be completed. We borrowed money, and others helped us. Some gave N20,000, some gave N50,000, some gave what they had.

“We went to borrow more money, and that was how the total money was completed to N6 million.

“They were sending it to their account, my sister’s account. They were helping with N20,000, N50,000, and N5,000. That was how we collected it,” she said.

The victim’s father said the parents collectively mobilised money to meet the demands of the kidnappers, with his family contributing N6 million.

“The parents gathered that money together. For us parents, our portion was N6 million, while others paid N5 million. Our money was more than the others, which we gathered together,” he said.

He added that the parents met at Adamasingba in Ibadan to coordinate the payment, while representatives travelling to Imo State also contributed N100,000 each towards transportation and other expenses.

The family’s account contradicts the Imo State Government’s position, which has maintained that no ransom was paid for the release of the 20 prospective corps members.

The victim’s father, however, insisted that the parents raised and delivered money as part of efforts to secure their children’s release.

“They lied! We, the parents, gathered that money together,” he said.

Wahab said the family learned of the release from her son’s elder brother, who had travelled to Imo State with other representatives.

She said they were informed that the prospective corps members had been handed over after the money was delivered.

The parents of the corps members have also urged the government to overhaul the transportation and security arrangements for young graduates deployed across the country for national service.

The mother of one of the rescued corps members, Faith Felicia Abiala, said the incident had exposed the dangers faced by young graduates travelling long distances by road to fulfil their national service obligations.

The call came as the 20 prospective corps members, who were abducted in Imo State, returned safely to Ibadan on Thursday after seven days in captivity and were taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in the Aleshinloye area of the city for debriefing.

Abiala, who described her daughter’s safe return as a moment of overwhelming relief, urged the government to provide stronger security arrangements for corps members travelling to their states of deployment or consider transporting them by air.

“My advice to the government is that when Corps members are posted to their service states, they should ensure proper security arrangements, or allow them to travel by air to avoid these kinds of dangerous road journeys,” she said.

The mother recalled the emotional trauma that followed the abduction of her daughter, saying she was so devastated when she received the news that she could not eat.

“I cannot recount all the tears and sorrow, but I give thanks to God that I am seeing her alive today. On the day she was taken, I was so devastated I couldn’t even eat, but today my heart is filled with joy,” Abiala said.

She also commended the DSS and the security teams from Oyo and Imo states for their efforts in securing the victims’ return.

“I thank God, and I thank the DSS officials; they really tried! The team from Oyo State and the team from Imo State really tried and stood by us until our children came out safe and sound,” she said.

Another relative of one of the victims, Alhaja Alimot Akande, described their release as a major relief after days of uncertainty.

“It is good news! Good news! Good news!” she said.

She said the confirmation of the victims’ release finally enabled their families to sleep peacefully after days of anguish.

“Ah! Immediately, I heard they were released yesterday, and I slept soundly! Akande said.

The abductors had reportedly demanded N50 million for each of the 20 victims, amounting to N1 billion, before the demand was allegedly reduced to N5 million per victim, bringing the total to N100 million.

The parents had earlier visited the private residence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan, seeking his intervention in securing the release of their children.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, were also involved in efforts to secure the victims’ release.

The Olubadan subsequently announced the freedom of the prospective corps members after receiving confirmation from Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

“The kidnapped graduates have been released. The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, confirmed this in a telephone conversation at about 5.00pm,” Ladoja stated in a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko.

The 20 victims were among 30 prospective corps members travelling in two buses from Oyo State towards orientation camps in Abia State when gunmen attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

Ten of the prospective corps members escaped into the bush during the attack and subsequently made their way to safety, while the remaining 20 were abducted.

The victims spent seven days in captivity before regaining their freedom and being brought back to Ibadan, where they were received at the DSS facility.

The incident had generated widespread anxiety among their parents and relatives, with the families seeking intervention from government officials, security agencies and traditional rulers.

It would be recalled that 20 of the 30 prospective corps members travelling in two buses from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia State were abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.

The remaining 10 prospective corps members escaped into the bush during the attack and subsequently reached safety.

The 20 abducted victims regained their freedom seven days after they were kidnapped.

The abductors had reportedly initially demanded a ransom of N50 million for each victim, amounting to N1 billion, before allegedly reducing the demand to N5 million per person, or N100 million for the 20 victims.

The abduction had earlier triggered concern among the victims’ parents, who on Saturday visited the private residence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan to seek his intervention over the continued captivity of their children.