The parents of twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were kidnaped while travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps have revealed that they were given a 24-hour window to acquire a N1 billion ransom in order to be freed.
When the parents met Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at his private home in Bodija, Ibadan, on Saturday, they revealed the information.
Olugbenga Abimbola, the state commissioner of police, and Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, the Aseyin of Iseyinland, accompanied them.
The two buses carrying the twenty graduates were allegedly attacked by gunmen on Thursday while they were driving from Ibadan to their individual NYSC orientation camps along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha,.
Isiah Akpan, the managing director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, verified the ransom demand on Friday.
Alhaja and Oyebola Akande, speaking on behalf of the impacted families, claimed that the kidnappers had been getting in touch with them via the potential corps members’ cell phones.
They have been phoning us since Friday and demanding a ransom of N50 million each. They are warning that if we don’t comply with their demands, something bad would happen to our kids.
We are unable to raise so much money at this time. Please help us, Baba. The parents said, “Don’t let them kill our kids.”
They pleaded with Ladoja and the police commissioner to step in and guarantee their kids’ prompt and secure release.
In response, Ladoja reassured the families that every attempt was being made to save the victims unhurt.
“I want to reassure you that your kids will be saved safely. Whatever information we learn will be shared with you. To ensure their rescue, the police are working nonstop. “Don’t worry, your kids won’t be harmed; the police are capable of handling the situation,” he stated.
Olugbenga Abimbola, the state commissioner of police, stated that he had discussed the issue with his counterpart in Imo State.
“I had already made contact with Imo State CP.” He told me that the victims would be saved unharmed, and we have been in communication since the day of the incident, he claimed.
However, Abimbola did not divulge information on the ongoing rescue efforts or whether any ransom had been paid.
Security organisations have stepped up their efforts to find and free the kidnaped potential corps members in the interim.
Security personnel employed drones to find the alleged camp where the remaining victims were being held, according to a statement made on Saturday by Audu Garba Bosso, the Imo State Commissioner of Police.
However, he said that information suggesting that improvised explosive devices had been placed across the camp caused the operation to be postponed.
According to the Jamband, Shehu Nadada, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, has also been sent to Imo State by Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu to oversee the search and rescue effort.