The parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members kidnapped while travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps have said their abductors gave them 24 hours to pay ₦1 billion for their release.

The parents disclosed this on Saturday during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, alongside the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.

The 20 graduates were travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps on Thursday when gunmen attacked the two buses conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.

The abductors reportedly demanded ₦50 million per victim, amounting to ₦1 billion in total, a figure earlier confirmed to PUNCH on Friday by the Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan.

Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande said the kidnappers had been reaching them through the mobile phones of the abducted corps members.

"They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand for N50m ransom each. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed to 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 Ladoja and the police commissioner to intervene and help secure the immediate release of their children.

Responding, Ladoja assured the families that rescue efforts were underway.

"I want to assure that your children would 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," he said.

The state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, said he had been in contact with his Imo State counterpart since the incident occurred.

"I had 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, though he did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid or share details of ongoing rescue operations.

Security agencies have meanwhile intensified efforts to rescue the remaining victims.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, said on Saturday that operatives had used drones to locate the suspected camp where the victims are being held, but that the raid had been delayed due to intelligence suggesting the camp had been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the ongoing search-and-rescue operation.

ID