The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were kidnapped by gunmen in Imo State have reportedly been physically assaulted by their captors, including the female victims, as the kidnappers lowered their ransom demand to N5 million for each victim.
This came about as the deadline the abductors reportedly set for the ransom payment drew near, increasing the anxiety felt by the victims’ families.
One of the relatives involved, Alhaja Alimot Akande, whose 25-year-old sister, Kehinde Akande, is among the kidnapped graduates, said the victims had reportedly been beaten since Saturday.
She called the situation “horrible, scary, and overwhelming” and appealed to the government to step up efforts to secure the victims’ release.
Akande said the kidnappers had lowered their original demand from N50 million per victim to N5 million each.
“They are still demanding N5 million. They have come down to N5 million each,” she said.
When asked if the N5 million was being demanded for each of the 20 victims, she answered, “Yes.”
She stated that she was unable to confirm the total amount raised for the ransom, noting that she was not aware of the arrangements between the abductors and the other families.
“I cannot say because I do not know how much they have told those people that they have,” she said.
Akande said that her sister had informed her that the abductors had begun beating the victims.
“Sir, we appeal to the government to please assist us in getting them rescued out of that place. When I spoke to my sister, they started beating them since yesterday,” she said.
When asked if the female victims were also being assaulted, she replied, “They are not sparing anybody. They are beating all of them.”
Akande also mentioned that one of the kidnapped corps members had been permitted to speak with his father, claiming that the kidnappers listened in on the calls as part of their attempt to gauge the family’s capacity to pay the ransom.
She stated that the abductors would notify the victim each time his father called and let him talk to him.
She further noted that the families had been depending on assurances from the police as efforts to raise the ransom went on.
“The police are telling us to still be buying time. We are still looking for the money. Depending, they will see them rescued,” she said.
Akande verified that the incident had a direct impact on her family, naming her abducted sister as Kehinde, who is 25 years old.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government stated that it was keeping in touch with the Imo State Government and security agencies as efforts to secure the release of the abducted graduates were stepped up.
Prince Dotun Oyelade, the state commissioner for information, said the government was actively participating in efforts to rescue the victims, even though the abduction took place outside Oyo State.
Oyelade said the government was applying lessons from the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area to its engagement with the Imo authorities.
“We are in close contact at the government-to-government level and actively with the security apparatus in Oyo and Imo states,” he said.
“We are volunteering our template and experiences garnered during the Oriire kidnapping, and the report of the Judicial Inquiry just submitted last week by the Hon. Justice (Professor) Mojeed Owoade Panel is coming in handy in our bilateral discussions on the matter.”
He noted that the government would not disclose all aspects of its strategy because of the sensitive nature of the operation.
“Governments all over the world are not in the habit of disclosing all they are planning in delicate situations like this,” Oyelade said.
The commissioner, nevertheless, stated that the federal government and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces ought to give answers regarding the wider national security response to the incident.
“The pushback should be on the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who are in charge of national security, on what they have done in 72 hours,” he said.
Oyelade also mentioned Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent involvement in the abduction of students in Borno State, pointing out that the Borno incident happened on the same day as the Oriire abduction.
He stated that Makinde had urged the federal government to speed up efforts to rescue the abducted Borno students.
Reaffirming the state’s dedication to the victims, Oyelade said that the fact the graduates were abducted in Imo did not excuse the Oyo government from its duty to its citizens.
“Oyo State Government had not and will not abandon its citizens. We will continue to work endlessly and desperately to secure the release of our children,” he said.
On Thursday, the 20 prospective corps members were kidnapped while they were traveling in two buses from Ibadan to their respective NYSC orientation camps.
Reports indicate that gunmen attacked the vehicles along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, as the graduates were on their way to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The incident sparked worry among the affected families, especially after the parents said the kidnappers first demanded N50 million for each victim N1 billion in total and gave them a 24-hour deadline to raise the money.
The parents later sought the help of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, when they visited his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, were with them.
The parents pleaded with the monarch to step in, explaining that they were unable to raise the N1 billion ransom that had been demanded.
“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand for N50 million ransom each. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed to their request,” the parents had said.
“There is no way we can raise such an amount in this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children.”
In response, Ladoja reassured the families that efforts were underway to secure the release of the victims.
“I want to assure you that your children will be rescued unharmed. We will relate whatever information we gather to you,” he said.
“The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself; the police are up to the task, and nothing will happen to your children.”
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola, also stated that he had remained in contact with his Imo counterpart since the incident.
“I had already contacted Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of the incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” Abimbola said.
