Families of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from Oyo State are facing mounting anxiety after kidnappers reportedly demanded ₦50 million for each victim abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom States when gunmen attacked two buses around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The ransom demand was disclosed by families of some of the victims and the Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, whose company operated the affected buses.
Akpan said the attackers took 19 prospective corps members into the bush and subsequently contacted some families through the victims’ phones, demanding ₦50 million for individual releases.
One distraught parent, who spoke anonymously, said the kidnappers contacted her using her son’s phone and demanded ₦50 million for his release.
“The kidnappers called with my son’s phone this morning and demanded N50m for his release. The N50m is for only my son,” the parent said.
Another mother, identified as Mrs Oladosu, said her daughter, Greatness, who was travelling to Uyo, was among those abducted.
She said the kidnappers briefly contacted the family through her daughter’s phone, during which relatives reportedly saw Greatness and other victims in a video call.
“We saw her and other corps members sitting on the ground in the bush, crying,” Oladosu said, expressing concern over how families could raise such a huge amount.
The mother of another victim, Akande Farouq, reportedly said her son, who was posted to Abia State, managed to send a one-word distress message — “Kidnappers!” — to the family WhatsApp group before his phone became unreachable.
Conflicting Figures Emerge
There has been a discrepancy in official and independently reported figures concerning the number of people abducted.
The transport company said 19 prospective corps members were taken, while the Nigeria Police Force has referred to 20 abducted persons, including prospective corps members and other passengers.
The police initially said 10 victims had been rescued, but could not immediately establish whether those rescued were among the corps members taken from the buses.
Consequently, reports of a ₦950 million total ransom demand are based on the 19-victim figure reported by the transport company and affected families, at ₦50 million per person, rather than a final figure independently established by the police.
Police Locate Suspected Hideout
In the latest development on Saturday, Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, said security operatives had located the suspected hideout of the abductors using drone surveillance.
However, the police have reportedly delayed entering the location because intelligence indicated that the camp may have been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Bosso said security agencies were preparing to move into the area with specialised equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, to facilitate a safe rescue operation.
The development marks a significant step in the ongoing search operation, although the victims’ safe recovery remains the immediate priority.
IGP Intensifies Rescue Operation
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, alongside two Commissioners of Police, to Imo State to strengthen the search-and-rescue operation.
The police said additional tactical teams and operational assets had been deployed, with intelligence-led tracking being used in coordination with other security agencies.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to securing the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and will sustain the operation until the mission is successfully concluded,” the police quoted Nadada as saying.
Oyo Government Assures Families
The Oyo State Government has condemned the abduction and assured affected families that it is working with security agencies, the Imo State Government and NYSC authorities to secure the victims’ release.
Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed that necessary resources be deployed towards the rescue effort.
“We are fully committed to securing the safe release of our children and will stop at nothing to ensure that they are reunited with their families without harm,” Oyelade said.
The incident has renewed concerns over the security of young Nigerians travelling long distances to NYSC orientation camps, particularly as the victims were intercepted while embarking on what was supposed to be the beginning of their national service.
For the affected families, however, the immediate concern remains the safe return of their loved ones as security agencies work to penetrate the suspected kidnappers’ hideout and bring the ordeal to an end.
