A parent of one of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State has revealed how the families raised millions of naira and negotiated with the kidnappers before securing the release of the victims.
Alirat Wahab, mother of one of the abducted prospective corps members, said her family raised N6 million after the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim.
Wahab disclosed this in separate interviews with News Central on Wednesday and Thursday, following the release of the 20 victims.
According to her, the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million per victim but later reduced the ransom following pleas from the parents.
She said the abductors subsequently agreed to accept N5 million before increasing their demand to N15 million.
Wahab said after further negotiations, the kidnappers eventually settled for N6 million 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.
She explained that the family had only raised about N5.5 million at one point but had to source additional funds after the kidnappers insisted on N6 million.
According to her, relatives, friends and other individuals contributed different amounts, while the family also borrowed money to complete the ransom.
“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.
Wahab said contributions ranging from N5,000 to N50,000 were sent to her sister’s account as the family struggled to raise the money.
She further disclosed that the parents of the abducted prospective corps members were summoned to Ibadan, Oyo State, where they were instructed to send representatives to Imo State with the ransom.
Her husband and the victim’s elder brother were among those who travelled to Imo State.
Wahab said the representatives were instructed not to transfer the ransom through a bank account but to take the money to Imo State and convert it to dollars.
Her husband, who also spoke during the interview, said the parents pooled their resources to meet the demands of the abductors.
He said his family contributed N6 million, while some other parents contributed N5 million.
“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 added that the parents met at Adamasingba in Ibadan to coordinate the ransom payment and also contributed N100,000 each to support the journey of representatives to Imo State.
The family’s account, however, contradicts the position of the Imo State Government, which said no ransom was paid for the release of the victims.
Reacting to the government’s claim, the father said, “They lied! We the parents gathered that money together.”
Wahab said the family learnt of the victims’ release after her son’s elder brother, who had travelled to Imo State, called to inform them that the youths had been handed over after the ransom was delivered.
She said other parents subsequently travelled to Imo State after the release was confirmed.
The police had on Wednesday confirmed the rescue of the 20 prospective corps members, who were abducted while travelling to their NYSC orientation camp.
The victims were reportedly among graduates travelling from Ibadan to their orientation camp in Abia State when they were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
The police said the victims were rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State following sustained search-and-rescue operations.
The Force said the victims were subsequently taken for medical assessment and necessary care, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators.
