Anxiety has deepened among families of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members kidnapped in Imo State after their abductors reportedly issued a 24-hour deadline for the payment of a staggering N50 million ransom for each victim.
The demand, which amounts to about N1 billion in total, has thrown affected families into distress as desperate efforts intensify to secure the release of the young graduates who were travelling to their orientation camps when they were seized by gunmen.
The victims were among passengers travelling in two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha community, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, when armed attackers intercepted the vehicles and whisked them away into the bush last Thursday.
As fear and uncertainty spread among relatives, security agencies have disclosed that they have traced the location where the victims are being held. However, rescue efforts have become more complicated following intelligence reports that the kidnappers’ hideout may be surrounded by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Families of the victims revealed that the abductors have been contacting them through the mobile phones of the kidnapped corps members, repeatedly demanding ransom and threatening consequences if their demands are not met.
The distraught parents made the disclosure during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, where they appealed for urgent intervention to save their children.
According to the families, raising such an enormous amount is beyond their means, prompting emotional pleas for assistance from traditional rulers, security agencies and government authorities.
Responding to the appeals, Oba Ladoja assured the parents that efforts were ongoing to secure the safe release of the victims. He expressed confidence in the security agencies and urged the families not to lose hope as rescue operations continued.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, also confirmed that he had been in constant communication with his counterpart in Imo State since the incident occurred and was assured that every possible step was being taken to bring the victims home safely.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered a major escalation of the rescue operation by deploying senior police commanders to Imo State.
The police high command announced that Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, had been dispatched alongside other senior officers to coordinate tactical operations and oversee efforts to track down the kidnappers.
According to the police, additional tactical units and intelligence teams have been mobilised to strengthen the search-and-rescue mission, while security forces continue to monitor identified criminal hideouts linked to the suspects.
Providing an update on the operation, Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso disclosed that security personnel had successfully traced the kidnappers’ camp using surveillance drones after trailing the suspects through surrounding forests.
He explained that although operatives now know the location of the hideout, advancing into the area requires extreme caution because intelligence reports suggest that the camp has been fortified with explosive devices capable of endangering both hostages and rescue teams.
Bosso said plans were underway to deploy specialised equipment, including armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers, to penetrate the area safely and neutralise potential threats before launching a rescue operation.
The kidnapping has sparked outrage across the country, especially because the victims were young graduates travelling to fulfil their mandatory national service obligations.
According to the Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, the attackers seized 19 passengers believed to be prospective corps members, while the drivers managed to escape and alert security personnel at a nearby checkpoint.
The incident has also triggered political reactions, with the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation accusing the Federal Government of failing to adequately tackle the nation's security challenges.
In a statement issued by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, the organisation described the abduction as another painful example of the dangers facing Nigerians and called for stronger, intelligence-driven security measures to protect citizens.
While political debates continue over the state of security in the country, the immediate focus remains on the fate of the abducted corps members, whose families are anxiously waiting for positive news.
With security agencies now claiming to have identified the kidnappers’ location and reinforced rescue operations underway, hopes remain high that the victims will be freed unharmed and those responsible brought to justice.
For now, however, the clock is ticking as worried families, government authorities and security operatives race against time to secure the safe return of the young Nigerians.
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