•Grieving parents
The parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members kidnapped in Imo State while travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps have said their abductors gave them 24 hours to pay N1 billion ransom for their release.
The affected parents disclosed this when they visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan yesterday, alongside the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.
The Imo State Police Command said yesterday that it had identified the location where the prospective National Youth Service Corps members were being held, but security operatives have delayed moving into the camp for fear that the hoodlums might have planted improvised explosive devices, reports The Nation.
The 20 graduates were said to be travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states on Thursday when gunmen attacked the two buses conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The abductors reportedly demanded N50 million for each victim, amounting to about N1 billion.
Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande said the abductors had been contacting them through the mobile phones of the kidnapped prospective Corps members.
“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand for N50 million each as ransom. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed their request.
“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children,” the parents said.
They appealed to Oba Ladoja and the police commissioner to intervene and secure the immediate release of their children.
Responding, Ladoja assured the parents that efforts were underway to rescue the victims unharmed.
He said: “I want to assure that your children will be rescued unharmed. We will relate whatever information we gather to you.
“The Police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself, police are up to the task, and nothing would happen to your children.”
Also speaking, the State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, said he had contacted his counterpart in Imo State over the incident.
“I have already contacted Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” he said.
The police commissioner did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid or provide details of ongoing rescue operations.
Police locate abductors’ camp, delay raid over IEDs fears
The Imo State Police Command said yesterday that it had identified the location where the prospective youth corps members were being held, but security operatives have delayed moving into the camp for fear that the paths might be strewn with improvised explosive devices.
In a media interview while giving an update on the search-and-rescue operation, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Audu Garba Bosso, said the police used drones on Friday to locate the suspected camp after security operatives trailed the abductors into the bush.
He, however, said the security agencies were being cautious because intelligence indicated that the camp had been mined with IEDs.
“Any moment, we’ll still move into the bush. Yesterday, we were in the bush, we trailed them up to a particular location, but at that point in time, we could not move into where the coordinate showed us they were.
“But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,” the commissioner said.
Bosso said the security agencies were preparing to move into the area with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, in an effort to rescue the victims safely.
“We are moving in there with high, you know, high-velocity vehicles; that is bulldozers. We are moving in with bulldozers and APCs to see how we’re going to rescue the victims unhurt,” he added.
IGP deploys DIG Operations, two commissioners to rescue victims
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation for 20 prospective corps members and other passengers abducted on the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The victims were abducted on Thursday, October 1, around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.
Nadada arrived in Imo with two Commissioners of Police and immediately conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the incident and the ongoing efforts by the Imo State Police Command to rescue the victims.
The DIG, according to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, also reviewed the deployment of personnel and operational assets and issued further directives to strengthen the coordinated response.
He was accompanied during the assessment by the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Audu Garba Bosso; Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations, CP Akpan Anifiok; and the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force.
Other service commanders and members of the management team of the Imo State Police Command also participated in the assessment.
The police said the search-and-rescue operation had been intensified, with additional tactical teams and operational assets deployed to identified areas.
The operation is also being supported by intelligence-led tracking of the suspected abductors, while the police said they were working with other security agencies to secure the safe release of the victims and arrest those responsible.
Nadada assured residents that the police would sustain the operation until the abducted persons were rescued.
“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,” he said.
He urged members of the public and the media to remain calm and vigilant, while appealing to anyone with credible information that could assist the operation to contact the police or the nearest security formation.
The DIG assured members of the public that information provided to the police would be treated with strict confidentiality.
The Force said further updates would be provided as the operation progresses.
Parents besiege Olubadan, receive assurance
The parents of 20 graduates, who were abducted on their way from Ibadan to the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Imo State have pleaded with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja to assist in seeking their freedom from captivity.
The parents numbering about 20 told Oba Ladoja in his Bodija, Ibadan residence to use his good offices and personal connection to wade into the matter and ensure their release.
Speaking through two of the parents – Alhaja Halima Akande and Mr. Oyebola Michael Akande, they said their children’s experience at the hands of their captors over the past two days was better imagined.
The first class monarch, who received them with the Oyo State Police Commissioner Olugbenga Abimbola and the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola Adeyeri, assured them that the matter would be sorted out by the government, as the government is as concerned about the matter as everyone else
“Fortunately, the Oyo CP is here. He will brief you”, he said.
The Oyo State Police boss assured the public that the government is on top of the situation.
Makinde calls for stronger intelligence, coordination
The sacrifices of security personnel in the fight against insecurity should be matched by stronger coordination and intelligence-led operations capable of preventing attacks and securing vulnerable communities and transport routes, the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has said.
The organisation made the call following the reported abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South on October 1.
In a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, yesterday, the MDPCO said the incident underscored the need for more effective preventive measures and rapid response to security threats, particularly on major highways.
It expressed concern over the safety of young Nigerians travelling for national service and urged security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of those still in captivity.
The organisation also called for stronger collaboration among security agencies, improved intelligence gathering and faster response mechanisms to reduce the vulnerability of communities and travellers to attacks by criminal groups.
The MDPCO said the incident had also highlighted the broader security challenges facing Nigerians, particularly those travelling between states for work, education and other national assignments.
It acknowledged the sacrifices of security personnel, saying their efforts should be supported by systems that enable agencies to share intelligence effectively, identify emerging threats and respond quickly to incidents.
