Kidnappers have demanded a combined N950m ransom for the release of 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area on Thursday.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, confirmed that the affected buses belonged to his company and were carrying corps members.
According to him, the vehicles departed Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday but encountered heavy traffic around Benin, Edo State, which delayed the journey. The buses later reached Onitsha, Anambra State, but the drivers decided to stop overnight in Oba because of the condition of the road.
They resumed the trip at about 5am the following day but came under attack shortly after entering Imo State.
Akpan said the attackers emerged from the surrounding bush, blocked both buses and took the 19 passengers away.
The drivers escaped and raised an alarm at a nearby security checkpoint, after which police and military personnel began searching for the abducted passengers.
The operation was reportedly delayed after some villagers objected to security personnel moving the abandoned buses from the scene.
The Imo State Police Command later announced that 10 people had been rescued, although it was unclear whether any of them were among the abducted corps members.
Meanwhile, the families of the missing victims have been thrown into distress following direct ransom demands.
One parent said the kidnappers used her son’s phone to demand N50m for his release. Another mother, Mrs Oladosu, said her daughter, Greatness, and other corps members were shown during a video call, with the victims reportedly seen sitting on the ground in a bush.
The incident has also triggered appeals for help on social media, with friends of some of the victims using online platforms to seek assistance for their safe return.
The Oyo State Government condemned the attack and said it was working with security agencies, the Imo State Government and NYSC authorities to secure the victims’ release.
The state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed that available resources be deployed towards the rescue effort.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of young Nigerians travelling to NYSC orientation camps.
Several corps members have been abducted in different parts of the country in recent years, including 15 prospective corps members seized in Kogi State in August. Security forces later rescued the victims.
Security analysts have called for a review of the NYSC deployment system, particularly the movement of prospective corps members through areas known to have high kidnapping risks.
Security analyst Chidi Omeje said criminals could be taking advantage of information about corps members’ mobilisation and travel schedules to plan attacks.
Another security expert, Olalekan Jackson-Ojo, suggested that graduates could be deployed within their states or regions, particularly where security conditions make interstate travel dangerous.
Educationist Dele Olapeju also warned that repeated attacks could weaken public confidence in the NYSC scheme, as parents become increasingly concerned about the safety of their children.
The NYSC had not issued a response to enquiries about the latest abduction as of press time.
