The parents of one of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State say the money contributed by their family towards the ransom has been returned.

Obasanjo and Alirat Wahab, parents of one of the freed victims, said all the affected families had received refunds, although they could not confirm whether the ransom was eventually paid to the kidnappers.

The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway after gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses conveying them from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to Anambra State.

The kidnappers reportedly initially demanded N1 billion from the victims’ families before reducing the amount to N5 million per person, bringing the total demand for the 20 abductees to N100 million.

On Wednesday, the Nigeria Police Force announced that the victims had been rescued in a joint operation involving the Department of State Services, the military and the police.

The victims were reportedly found in Amakohia Ubi village, Imo State, after seven days in captivity.

Speaking in an interview with News Central after her son’s release, Alirat said her family had paid N6 million to secure his freedom.

However, in a subsequent interview with the media platform, Obasanjo said he could not establish whether the representatives sent by the families had handed the money to the kidnappers.

He said the contributions had been returned to the families, including the N6 million provided by his household.

“They returned it to those who went to represent us. Every parent has received their money back,” Alirat said.

Obasanjo said representatives from the affected families had gone to negotiate for the victims’ release but declined to provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the refund.

He said the kidnappers had requested that representatives bring the ransom, adding that the victims were eventually released.

Asked whether the ransom had been paid, he said the families did not know.

“We just want to thank Imo for a job well done,” Obasanjo said, urging the state government to be appreciated for its role in the rescue.

He also appealed for the matter to be laid to rest, without disclosing who refunded the money or how the refunds were arranged.