NYSC ABDUCTION: ‘I PAID ₦6M FOR THE RELEASE OF MY SON’, MOTHER SAYS

The release of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State has taken a fresh turn after a mother of one of the victims disclosed that her family paid N6 million to secure her son’s freedom.

The revelation comes less than 24 hours after the Nigeria Police Force announced that the 20 prospective corps members had been rescued through sustained search-and-rescue operations involving the police and other security agencies.

The conflicting accounts have now raised fresh questions about what exactly happened between the abduction on October 1 and the victims’ release on October 7, ValidViewNetwork reports.

The mother, whose identity was not disclosed, said in an interview with News Central Television that the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim, before eventually agreeing to accept N6 million for her son.

According to her account, the family initially told the kidnappers that they could not afford the demand and tried to negotiate it down. She said the abductors later demanded N15 million but eventually settled for N6 million after the family said it could raise only about N5.5 million.

“They said no and insisted on N6 million. So, it’s that N6 million we paid,” the mother said.

FAMILY MEMBERS WERE SENT TO DELIVER RANSOM

The woman said the abductors instructed relatives of the victims to send representatives to meet them in Ibadan. She explained that her husband and her son’s elder brother were among those who went to meet representatives of the abductors.

According to her, the money was paid into an account, after which arrangements were made for the funds to be converted into dollars for delivery in Imo State.

The mother added that her family later received confirmation that her son had been released. She said the psychological trauma of having her child in captivity had left her unable to sleep during the period of the abduction.

ValidViewNetwork can confirm that her account is consistent with separate reports from other relatives who also claimed that ransom payments were made before the victims regained their freedom.

POLICE GAVE A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT

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The new disclosure contrasts with the official account released by the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, said the 20 prospective corps members were rescued on October 7 at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State following sustained search-and-rescue operations.

The police said the operation was conducted in collaboration with sister security agencies and that the victims were subsequently taken for medical assessment and necessary care.

The statement did not say that ransom was involved in the release. The police also said efforts were continuing to apprehend those responsible for the abduction.The victims were reportedly rescued by a joint security team involving the police, military and the Department of State Services, among other agencies.

VALIDVIEWNETWORK EARLIER REPORTED THE ABDUCTION

ValidViewNetwork had earlier reported the abduction of the prospective corps members after gunmen attacked two buses travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The attack occurred on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo State. The victims were reportedly taken into the bush after the attackers intercepted the buses.

Initial reports indicated that the abductors demanded N50 million per victim, putting the total demand at about N1 billion for the 20 prospective corps members. The demand was subsequently reported to have been reduced to about N5 million per victim.

The development triggered a major security response, with authorities deploying additional personnel and assets to locate the victims.

SECURITY FORCES HAD LOCATED THE KIDNAPPERS’ CAMP

The rescue operation had earlier encountered a major obstacle after security operatives located the suspected kidnappers’ camp but were reportedly unable to immediately move into the area.

Imo State police authorities had disclosed that drone surveillance helped locate the camp, but intelligence indicated that the area had been planted with improvised explosive devices.

Security agencies subsequently worked to overcome the threat and gain access to the area. The victims were eventually found at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State on October 7.

They were taken to a DSS medical facility in Owerri for medical assessment and treatment, while the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, visited them alongside senior security officials.

FAMILIES NOW CHALLENGE THE OFFICIAL RESCUE NARRATIVE

The N6 million disclosure is not the only family account raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the release.

Another relative reportedly said a family paid N5 million for the release of a victim. These accounts do not necessarily establish that ransom was paid for all 20 victims, nor do they by themselves establish that security agencies played no role in the eventual recovery.

They do, however, introduce a significant new dimension to the case that requires clarification from the authorities and the affected families.

WHAT REMAINS UNCLEAR

Several important questions remain unanswered. It is not yet publicly established whether the security operation directly freed the victims from captivity, whether ransom negotiations had already secured the release of some or all of them, or whether both the security operation and private negotiations contributed to the outcome.

It is also unclear whether any ransom payment was made on behalf of all 20 victims or whether individual families negotiated separately.

The identity of the kidnappers, the exact circumstances of their withdrawal from the forest and whether any suspect was arrested also remain subjects of investigation.

The Nigeria Police Force has said efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for the abduction.

LATEST DEVELOPMENT

As of Thursday, October 8, the 20 prospective corps members are free and receiving medical attention, while security agencies continue efforts to track those behind the abduction.

But the competing accounts over ransom payments and the actual circumstances of the release mean the story is not yet closed.

ValidViewNetwork will continue to monitor the development, particularly any official clarification from the police, DSS, military or other agencies involved in the operation.

The central issue now is not only how the victims were released, but also whether the kidnappers received ransom, who paid it, and whether those payments can be traced as part of the wider investigation into the abduction.

The latest disclosures underline the continuing danger posed by kidnapping-for-ransom operations and the difficult choices families face when the lives of their loved ones are at stake, ValidViewNetwork reports.

The release of the victims is welcome, but a complete account of the operation, including the role of security agencies and any ransom payments, is essential for accountability and for understanding how similar attacks can be prevented.