Parents contradict Imo govt, say N6m ransom paid for abducted corps members

The family of an abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member has contradicted the Imo State Government’s claim that no ransom was paid for the release of 20 corps members, saying parents raised and delivered N6m to secure their freedom.

Alirat Wahab, whose son was among the abducted graduates, said families borrowed money and received contributions from relatives, friends and other individuals to meet the ransom demand after negotiations with the kidnappers.

Wahab disclosed this in interviews with News Central on Wednesday and Thursday, following the release of the victims.

According to her, the kidnappers initially demanded N50m for each victim before reducing the amount following negotiations with the parents.

She said the abductors later agreed to N5m before raising the demand to N15m and eventually settling for N6m for her son.

“They first said N50m per child. We pleaded because each child was given the phone for about two minutes, and then they would seize the phone back,” she said.

“As we kept pleading, they initially agreed to N5m, but later refused. Later on, around three days ago, they said they would collect N15m from us. We started pleading again, saying we only had N5.5m at the time, but they insisted on N6m.”

Wahab said the families were summoned to Ibadan, Oyo State, and instructed to send representatives to Imo State with the ransom.

She said three representatives were required for each of the 20 abducted prospective corps members, adding that her husband and the victim’s brother travelled to Imo State.

According to her, the kidnappers directed the representatives not to transfer the money into an account but to take it to Imo and convert it to dollars.

“When they went, their daddy went, his brother went. When they got there, they discussed that we should not send the money through an account. By the time they got to Imo State, they should go and convert it to dollars,” she said.

Wahab said her family struggled to raise the N6m, with relatives, friends and other well-wishers contributing amounts ranging from N5,000 to N50,000.

“It was other people that helped us so our money could complete. We borrowed money, and others helped us. Some gave N20,000, some N50,000, some gave what they had. We went to borrow more money, and that was how the total money was completed to N6m,” she said.

She added that some contributions were paid into her sister’s account before the money was assembled.

Her husband, who also spoke on Thursday, said the parents pooled resources to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

“The parents gathered that money together. For us parents, our portion was N6m, while others paid N5m. Our money was more than the others, which we gathered together,” he said.

He said the parents met at Adamasingba in Ibadan to coordinate the payment and also contributed N100,000 each to cover the expenses of representatives travelling to Imo State.

The father strongly rejected the Imo State Government’s claim that the victims were released without ransom.

“They lied! We the parents gathered that money together,” he said.

Wahab said the family learnt of the victims’ release after her son’s elder brother, who was among those who travelled to Imo State, called to inform them that the abducted graduates had been handed over.

“His elder brother was there then. Those who went with us carried the ransom along. It was his elder brother who called us that morning to say they had handed the children over to those who delivered the money to them,” she said.

The 20 prospective corps members were abducted while travelling to their NYSC orientation camp, reportedly along the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State.

The police confirmed their rescue on Wednesday, saying they were recovered at Amakohia Ubi Village following sustained search-and-rescue operations.

The victims were subsequently taken for medical assessment and necessary care, while security agencies continued efforts to apprehend those responsible for the abduction.

The conflicting accounts over the payment of ransom have now raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the release of the prospective corps members.

While the Imo State Government has maintained that no ransom was paid, the victims’ families insist that money was raised, taken to Imo State and delivered as part of negotiations for their release.