By Adeola Badru
Parents of the 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who were abducted while travelling to their orientation camps in Imo State, have expressed relief and joy following confirmation of their release.
The parents, however, said their joy was mixed with anxiety as they were yet to establish direct contact with their children amid reports that the released prospective corps members were still with the Department of State Services, DSS.
One of the affected parents and spokesperson for the families, Alhaja Alimot Akande, confirmed the release in an interview with Vanguard on Wednesday, saying the development had brought considerable relief to families who had spent days in anguish over the fate of their children.
Akande, who has been at the forefront of efforts by the affected families to secure the release of the prospective corps members, said the parents were grateful that their children had regained their freedom but stressed that the ordeal had taken a heavy emotional and financial toll on the families.
She said: “We are happy that they have been released. This is what every parent has been waiting and praying for. For days, we have been living in fear and uncertainty because we did not know what could happen to our children.
“Now that we have heard that they have been released, we thank God for preserving their lives. But our joy is not yet complete because we have not been able to speak with them ourselves.
“What we have heard is that they are still with the DSS. So, we are waiting for the authorities to allow us to have contact with them and, most importantly, to reunite them with their families.”
Akande said the release had also imposed a financial burden on the affected families, explaining that individual parents had made separate arrangements following ransom demands allegedly communicated by the abductors.
“The individual parents were responsible for the release in their separate ways because the abductors had given their words on the amount of ransom involved.
“Each family had to find a way of dealing with its own situation. We were all desperate to see our children come back alive, and that was the priority for every parent,” she said.
She also said no government had provided the affected families with financial assistance towards securing the release of their children.
“No government gave us anything to support the families towards the release of our children. We had to do what we could as individual families.
“Everybody was looking for a way to bring their child back safely. It was not an easy thing for any of us, but we were prepared to do whatever was necessary within our means to ensure that our children returned alive,” she said.
According to Akande, the families endured sleepless nights and emotional distress throughout the period of the abduction because they were uncertain about the condition of their children.
“The psychological trauma has been enormous. Imagine having your child travelling to report for NYSC and then you suddenly hear that the vehicle they were travelling in had been attacked and the occupants abducted.
“You cannot sleep properly. You cannot eat properly. You are constantly thinking about where your child is, what the child is going through and whether the child is still alive,” she said.
She appealed to the authorities to ensure that the released prospective corps members received proper care before being reunited with their families.
“Now that they have been released, our appeal is that the government and security agencies should ensure that these children are properly attended to.
“They need medical attention, psychological support and every necessary assistance because they have gone through a traumatic experience. They should not simply be released and left to deal with the experience on their own,” Akande said.
She also called for stronger security arrangements for prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps, saying the incident had exposed the vulnerability of young Nigerians fulfilling their national service obligations.
“These are young Nigerians who were simply going to serve their country. They should not be exposed to this kind of danger while travelling to their orientation camps.
“We hope that the authorities will learn from what has happened and put measures in place to prevent a recurrence. The safety of prospective corps members should be taken seriously,” she said.
One of the affected parents, Mr Femi Adewale, 53, a public servant and father of Feyisayo, one of the abducted prospective corps members, also expressed relief over the development.
Adewale said: “We are very happy and relieved that our children have been released. It has been a very difficult period for us as parents because we did not know what would happen to them.
“The most important thing for us now is to see our children, speak with them and know that they are safe. We thank God for preserving their lives.”
Similarly, Mrs Sade Oyeyemi, 51, whose only daughter, Kemisola, was among those abducted, said the confirmation of the release had brought immense relief to her family after days of anxiety.
Oyeyemi said: “I am very happy that she has been released. As a mother, especially when the child involved is your only daughter, you cannot explain the kind of fear and pain you go through when you do not know where she is or what is happening to her.
“We have been praying and hoping that they would be released alive. Now that we have heard that they have been released, we are grateful to God. We only want to see her, hear her voice and know that she is truly safe.”
Another affected parent, 55-year-old Janet Oladosu, also expressed gratitude over the development, saying the confirmation had brought relief after days of fear and sleepless nights.
Oladosu said: “The news of their release is a great relief to us. We have been living in fear and praying for our children. Nobody wants to hear that their child has been abducted, especially when the child was simply travelling to begin the National Youth Service.
“We thank God that they are alive and have been released. What we need now is for them to be brought back safely to their families.”
The development followed confirmation by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who received the news from Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, during a telephone conversation at about 5pm on Wednesday.
According to a statement by the Olubadan’s media aide, Adeola Oloko, Uzodinma personally conveyed confirmation of the release to the monarch.
The development has brought relief to the families and relatives of the prospective corps members, who had remained anxious since their abduction while travelling towards their orientation camps in Imo State.
The Olubadan, who had closely monitored developments concerning the abducted prospective corps members, also expressed relief following confirmation of their release.
However, the affected families said their immediate priority remained the safe return of their children and direct confirmation of their physical and emotional condition after the ordeal.
They also appealed to the relevant authorities to provide the released prospective corps members with appropriate medical and psychological support, stressing that the experience could have lasting emotional consequences.
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