Parents of the prospective corps members, who were seized on their way to the NYSC orientation camp in Abia State, say the gunmen have threatened their children if the money is not paid.

Parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted last Thursday say the kidnappers have given them 24 hours to pay a ransom.

The young people were on their way to the orientation camp in Abia State when gunmen seized them.

The parents went to Ibadan to ask for help. They visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his private residence in Bodija. The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, were also present.

According to the parents, the kidnappers have been calling them from the victims’ own mobile phones. They threatened to deal harshly with the captives if the demand is not met within the 24 hours.

Speaking for the families, Alhaja Alimot Akande and Oyebola Michael Akande said the calls began a day earlier. They said the gunmen asked for ₦50 million per victim. They added that there is no way the families can raise such a sum now.

The amount has been reported differently elsewhere, with one account putting the demand at ₦1 billion for each person.

The parents pleaded with the Olubadan and the police chief to secure the release of their children. They asked that the young people not be killed.

Oba Ladoja assured them that the victims would be rescued unharmed. He promised to share any information he receives with the families and said the police are working round the clock.

The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, said he had already spoken with his counterpart in Imo State. He said they have been in touch since the day of the incident and that efforts to rescue the victims are intensifying. According to him, the Imo commissioner has also assured him that the victims will be rescued unhurt.

Meta description:
Kidnappers give parents of 20 abducted prospective corps members 24 hours to pay ransom, as the Olubadan and police promise a safe rescue.

Tags:
NYSC, Kidnapping, Corps Members, Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Abia State, Ibadan, Ransom

Category: News, with Security as a secondary category

Featured image:

• What to look for: a general NYSC-style group of young people in white and khaki, or a rural road at dusk, with no identifiable victims
• Where to search: “Nigerian youth corps” or “rural road Africa” on Unsplash or Pexels
• Alt text: Young Nigerians in uniform at an orientation event

Before you publish, check these points in the source report:

• The ransom amount: The opening says ₦1 billion each, but the parents’ own quote says ₦50 million each. I used the parents’ figure and noted the difference. Please confirm which is correct, and remove the line about the discrepancy once you do.
• The police chief’s name: The report calls him Olugbenga Abimbola in one place and “Ayodeji” in another. I used Abimbola, since he appears twice.
• Where the abduction happened: The report says they were on their way to the Abia camp, but the police chief spoke to his Imo State counterpart. That may mean the kidnapping happened in or near Imo, so I didn’t name a location.