The parents of a prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member abducted in Imo State have confirmed that the ₦6 million their family contributed towards securing his release has been returned.
The development comes after 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards Anambra State.
The victims were reportedly held for seven days before being rescued in a joint security operation involving the police, military and Department of State Services.
What happened to the ransom money?
The victim’s parents, Obasanjo and Alirat Wahab, said the money contributed by the affected families had been refunded.
Alirat had earlier disclosed that her family contributed ₦6 million in an effort to secure their son’s freedom.
However, in a follow-up interview, Obasanjo said the families could not confirm whether the representatives who handled negotiations had actually handed the money over to the kidnappers.
He also said the affected parents had received their contributions back.
Alirat confirmed that the money was returned through the representatives selected to act on behalf of the families.
Questions remain unanswered
Although the families have recovered their contributions, questions remain about whether any ransom was ultimately paid and who arranged the refunds.
The kidnappers reportedly initially demanded ₦1 billion for the release of the 20 prospective corps members before reducing the demand to ₦5 million per victim.
The parents have expressed gratitude to the Imo State Government for its role in the incident and appealed for the matter to be put behind them.
A painful reminder for travelling Nigerians
The incident has once again drawn attention to the security risks faced by Nigerians travelling long distances, particularly young people heading to orientation camps and other official assignments.
For the affected families, the safe return of their loved ones was the most important outcome. However, the unanswered questions surrounding the ransom contributions leave room for further clarification.
Utelnova will continue to follow important developments affecting Nigerians and bring readers updates as more verified information becomes available.
Leave a Reply