Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), reportedly freed after their families paid ₦6 million each in ransom, have been offered the option of serving in any of the six South-West states. This has raised fresh questions about the safety of graduates travelling to fulfil their national service obligations.
A parent of one of the survivors disclosed the arrangement toNEW DAILY PRIME saying the graduates could choose where to continue their service with the current batch.
The reported ransom payments amount to ₦120 million for all 20 captives if each family paid the stated ₦6 million. However, the families’ accounts directly contradict the police position that security operations secured the graduates’ release.
The victims were abducted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, while travelling in two commercial buses operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors. They were reportedly heading towards Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
READ RELATED NEWS UPDATES:
Families describe ransom negotiations
A relative of one survivor, Joy Zainab, confirmed that family members and well-wishers contributed towards the payment.
“Alhamdulillah, he has been released and is safe with us at home,” she said, thanking those who offered prayers, shared information and provided financial assistance.
Alirat Wahab, the mother of another victim, previously disclosed that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million per person before reducing the amount to ₦15 million and eventually accepting ₦6 million.
She said representatives of the families travelled to Ibadan, Oyo State, to meet an intermediary. The money was later transferred into a designated account, with instructions to convert it into US dollars after the representatives arrived in Imo State.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said he was unaware of any ransom payment. The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, attributed the release to joint search-and-rescue operations by security agencies.
The police had announced the graduates’ rescue at Amakohia Ubi Village in Owerri West Local Government Area on Wednesday. The survivors were subsequently taken to the Department of State Services hospital in Owerri for medical evaluation.
The NYSC had not confirmed the reported South-West posting arrangement as of the time of the publication cited.
Fresh questions over NYSC safety
The incident has intensified concerns about the risks faced by young graduates travelling long distances to orientation camps and their places of primary assignment.
In August, 15 prospective corps members travelling from Bayelsa to Abuja were abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Kogi State. Security operatives later rescued them from Egume Forest.
The Federal Executive Council approved NYSC reforms in June 2026, including risk-sensitive deployment, a technology-driven call-up process and an extension of the orientation programme from three to six weeks.
However, the latest abduction raises questions about how these safeguards will protect corps members before they reach orientation camps.
On the part of the families, the consequences extend beyond financial losses. Wahab disclosed that she and her daughter had been hospitalised following the ordeal, while another survivor declined to recount the experience, saying he was grateful to be alive.
The debate over whether Nigeria should retain the 53-year-old scheme has also gained momentum. Established in 1973 to promote national integration after the Civil War, the programme requires graduates to serve outside their states of origin.
The challenge now is to preserve that objective without exposing young Nigerians to avoidable danger. Risk-sensitive postings alone may not be enough if safe transport arrangements, reliable intelligence and rapid emergency responses are not secured.
Freedom, for the 20 graduates, has brought relief. For their families and thousands of prospective corps members preparing to travel, the incident leaves a pressing question: who guarantees their safety on the road to national service?
For More Details, Visit New Daily Prime News
