Families say they paid between ₦3 million and ₦6 million to secure their children’s release, while Imo police insist sustained security operations forced the kidnappers to abandon their victims.**
The freedom of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted in Imo State has sparked controversy, with distraught parents alleging that they paid millions of naira in ransom to secure their children’s release, contradicting the police account that security operatives rescued them.
While some families reportedly paid ₦3 million, others raised as much as ₦6 million to secure the release of their loved ones, leaving some parents burdened with huge debts after days of fear, desperation and sleepless nights.
The victims, who were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, were abducted on October 1, 2026, when gunmen ambushed their two buses at Ogbaku, in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.
Their eventual release on Wednesday, October 7, brought relief to their families. But the circumstances surrounding their freedom have now become a subject of conflicting accounts between the parents and security authorities.
'I Ran Helter-Skelter to Raise ₦3 Million'
For one mother, the struggle to secure her child's freedom was a desperate race against time, driven by the terrifying uncertainty of what the abductors might do.
Recounting her ordeal, she said she scrambled to raise ₦3 million before arranging for the money to be delivered to the kidnappers.
“I paid as much as ₦3 million as ransom while I was hoping that nothing happened to my child. I ran helter-skelter to raise the money. I eventually got the money and sent someone to deliver the ransom directly to them,” she said.
Another parent described how relatives gathered in Ibadan to pool resources and raise ₦6 million, with some even converting the money into dollars before it was sent to Imo State.
The father, who said he borrowed money to meet the demand, expressed joy over his son's return but lamented the financial burden left behind by the ordeal.
“I am excited that my son is coming back. However, how do I repay the ₦6 million I borrowed? I'm just a farmer,” he said.
For the families, the relief of having their children back has come at a steep financial cost.
Kidnappers Demanded ₦50 Million Per Victim
One of the mothers, speaking during an interview with News Central Television, disclosed that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million for each victim.
According to her, the families pleaded with the abductors to reduce the amount, but their requests were initially rejected.
“Initially, they asked us to pay ₦50 million per head. We asked whether the amount was for all of them, but they insisted that no, it was for each person,” she said.
She explained that the families later offered ₦500,000, but the kidnappers refused and continued to intimidate them.
Three days before the victims' release, the abductors reportedly reduced their demand to ₦15 million.
The parents, however, said they could not afford the amount and pleaded for further concessions.
“We kept begging them that all we had was ₦5.5 million. They said no and insisted on ₦6 million. So, it's that ₦6 million we paid,” the mother said.
She added that the kidnappers instructed the families to send representatives to Ibadan to coordinate the payment.
According to her, her husband and elder son participated in the arrangements, while the money was reportedly transferred through an account and converted into dollars before delivery in Imo State.
The mother said her family had received its loved one after the ransom was paid.
Ransom Paid in Dollars, Parent Tells BBC
In a separate interview with BBC News Yoruba, another parent, who requested anonymity, also insisted that the families—not security agencies—secured the victims' release through ransom payments.
The parent said relatives, friends and people who offered assistance online contributed money to help the affected families meet the kidnappers' demands.
“Not a single person was responsible for securing the release of our children. The parents, alongside friends and support from people online, contributed money so that each parent could pay the amount demanded by the kidnappers,” the parent said.
The source further claimed that the Department of State Services (DSS) was involved in the investigation and knew that the families had converted the ransom into US dollars through a local currency exchanger before handing it over.
The parent described the amount involved as substantial.
These claims, however, have not been independently established in the accounts provided by the families, and security authorities have maintained that their operations led to the victims' release.
Police Insist Security Operations Forced Kidnappers to Flee
The Nigeria Police Force has maintained that the 20 prospective corps members were rescued through coordinated search-and-rescue operations involving other security agencies.
In a statement, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the victims were recovered on October 7 at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State after sustained operations.
“The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with sister security agencies, has rescued the 20 prospective NYSC corps members abducted in Imo State on 1st October 2026,” the statement read.
The police said the victims were subsequently taken for medical assessment and necessary care.
The Force also stated that operations were continuing to track down and prosecute those responsible for the abduction.
But the parents' accounts have cast a different light on the circumstances surrounding the release, with several families insisting that ransom payments were central to the outcome.
Imo Police: 'We Are Not Aware of Any Ransom'
The Imo State Police Command has denied knowledge of any ransom payment connected to the release of the 20 prospective corps members and another victim who was reportedly freed separately.
Speaking with Channels Television, the state's Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said security operatives had mounted sustained pressure on the kidnappers, forcing them to abandon their captives.
“The kidnappers eventually succumbed to pressure from security agencies, which combed the forest in a sustained rescue operation,” Bosso said.
He maintained that tactical teams pursued the abductors until they fled the area, resulting in the victims' freedom.
The police position directly contradicts the claims made by parents who say they borrowed money, solicited assistance and arranged cash transfers to meet the kidnappers' demands.
The conflicting accounts have left unanswered questions about whether the victims were freed solely through security pressure or whether ransom payments also played a role.
Survivors Arrive in Ibadan, Taken to DSS
Following their release, the 20 prospective corps members arrived in Ibadan, where they were taken to the DSS headquarters in the Aleshinloye area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area for debriefing.
At the time of the report, only representatives of the victims' parents were allowed into the facility, while other relatives and sympathisers waited outside.
The palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan also issued a statement confirming that the victims had regained their freedom.
Although the safe return of the young people brought relief to their families, the allegations of ransom payments have added another layer to the controversy surrounding the incident.
Parents Demand Safer NYSC Postings
Beyond the financial losses and emotional trauma, the abduction has shaken the confidence of some parents in the safety of their children's service-year postings.
One mother said she would withdraw her child from the NYSC scheme if the original posting remained unchanged, insisting that she would only permit the service year to continue if her child were redeployed to a safer location, such as Oyo or Ogun State.
She also recounted the physical and emotional toll of the days her child spent in captivity.
“Since he was kidnapped, I have been stooling. I couldn't sleep either. But I was relieved when I heard they had been released. It was as though the chains all over me were loosened,” she said.
For the families, the ordeal did not end when the victims walked free. Some must now repay loans running into millions of naira, while others are struggling to overcome the fear of sending their children back into a scheme they believe should guarantee their safety.
The 20 prospective corps members are back with their families, but the central question remains unresolved: **Were they freed by sustained security operations, as the police insist, or did their parents have to pay millions of naira to bring them home?**
Parents Paid Ransom to Free 20 Abducted NYSC Members, Dispute Police Claims
