The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who recently regained their freedom following a highly publicized abduction in Imo State have reportedly been granted an exclusive option to undergo their mandatory national service within any of the six South-West states.
Moving swiftly from an arduous captivity to a position of secure choice, the affected graduates—originally deployed to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states before being intercepted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha highway—are being integrated into the current batch within a region widely considered a safer alternative.
While the administration focuses on accommodating the survivors to alleviate the psychological aftermath of the trauma, family members have opened up regarding the private interventions and deep financial tolls required to secure their safe return home.
A parent who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the survivors were given the option to continue their service with the current batch in their preferred South-West states. “They have been given the opportunity to choose states in the South-West to continue their service with the current batch,” the parent said, adding that each family had to pay ₦6 million to secure the release of their relative after kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million per victim.
The graduates were originally abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, while traveling in two commercial buses operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors. Although the police later announced their rescue, the families insisted that crowd-sourced ransom payments actually secured their freedom.
Alirat Wahab, the mother of one of the victims, provided a detailed broadcast interview to News Central Television, explaining that the kidnappers progressively reduced their demand from ₦50 million to ₦15 million, before finally accepting ₦6 million per head after intense negotiations.
She further explained that relatives were directed to send representatives to Ibadan, where an intermediary facilitated the transaction, before being instructed to convert the cash into US dollars upon reaching Imo State.
Another relative, Joy Zainab, also corroborated these complex payment arrangements.
Celebrating the safe return, Wahab expressed her profound relief. “Alhamdulillah, he has been released and is safe with us at home,” she said, thanking those who prayed, shared the story, and provided financial assistance.
However, official government and security institutions have distanced themselves from the ransom narrative.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, along with the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, maintained that the 20 members were freed at Amakohia Ubi Village due to joint, sustained search-and-rescue operations by security agencies, with the Commissioner explicitly stating he was unaware of any ransom paid.
Meanwhile, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, visited the victims at the DSS hospital in Owerri, though the scheme’s management has not yet issued an official statement confirming or denying the special South-West redeployment arrangement.
