The Imo State Police Command has denied knowledge of any ransom payment for the release of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another abducted person in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, made this known during an interview with Channels TV on Thursday, saying the victims were released after security agencies intensified operations to locate their abductors.
Bosso said security personnel combed the forest and mounted pressure on the kidnappers until the victims were released.
He added that the rescued victims were receiving attention at the office of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The prospective corps members and the other victim were abducted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha Road while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
Following the incident, security agencies launched a coordinated search for the victims and their abductors.
The police had earlier reported that drone surveillance helped operatives identify the kidnappers’ camp, but access to the location was delayed after the area was reportedly found to have been planted with improvised explosive devices.
Additional operational resources were subsequently deployed as the search intensified.
The development came amid reports that the abductors had demanded N50 million for each victim.
Meanwhile, NAIJAONPOINT earlier reported that a mother of one of the freed NYSC members said she paid N6 million to secure her son’s release.
The woman, who spoke in an interview with News Central Television, said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim before eventually accepting N6 million for her son.
“Initially, they asked us to pay N50 million per head. We asked whether the amount was for all of them, but they insisted that no, it was for each person. Later, we started begging them to take N500,000. But they said no and started scaring us,” she said in Yoruba.
“Three days ago, they called and said we should pay N15 million. We kept begging them that all we had was N5.5 million. They said no and insisted on N6 million. So, it’s that N6 million we paid.”
She also said her husband and her son’s elder brother were among representatives of the victims’ families who met the abductors in Ibadan to arrange the ransom payment.
However, Bosso said he was not aware that any ransom was paid for the victims’ release.
The police had earlier announced the rescue of 10 of the abducted victims while efforts continued to locate those still being held.
The remaining victims were eventually released from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area on Wednesday.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, commended the security agencies involved in the operation and praised the cooperation between the Imo and Oyo state governments.
In a statement personally signed by him, Uzodimma said the joint efforts of the two state governments contributed to the release of the captives.
The rescued victims are receiving medical attention in Owerri as authorities continue to assess their condition following the abduction.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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