By Adeola Badru
IBADAN — The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members rescued after being abducted while travelling to their orientation camps have arrived in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and were taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters for debriefing.
The prospective corps members arrived at the DSS office in the Aleshinloye area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area on Wednesday, following their release from captivity.
As of the time of filing this report, only representatives of the victims’ parents were allowed access to the DSS premises, while other relatives and sympathisers remained outside the facility.
Recall that 20 of the 30 prospective corps members travelling in two buses from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia State were abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The remaining 10 prospective corps members escaped into the bush during the attack and subsequently made their way to safety.
The 20 abducted victims regained their freedom seven days after they were kidnapped.
The abductors had reportedly initially demanded a ransom of N50 million for each victim, amounting to N1 billion, before allegedly reducing the demand to N5 million per person, or N100 million for the 20 victims.
The abduction had earlier triggered concern among the victims’ parents, who on Saturday visited the private residence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan to seek his intervention over the continued captivity of their children.
The parents were joined by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, in efforts to secure the release of the abducted prospective corps members.
Shortly after the victims regained their freedom, Ladoja announced their release, saying the information was confirmed to him by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma during a telephone conversation.
“The kidnapped graduates have been released. The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, confirmed this in a telephone conversation at about 5.00pm,” Ladoja said in a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, in Ibadan.
The arrival of the rescued prospective corps members in Ibadan marks another stage in efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding their abduction and provide them with the necessary support following their ordeal in captivity.
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