The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members who were rescued in Owerri, Imo State capital, on Wednesday, have been reunited with their families in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, after over three hours of engagement with the Department of State Services officials.

A check by The PUNCH revealed that the victims and some parents were given access to the DSS office, while others stayed outside.

One of the victims’ parents, Mrs Faith Felicia Abiala, who spoke with our correspondent shortly after reuniting with her child, said the incident had exposed the dangers faced by young graduates travelling long distances by road to fulfil their national service obligations.

The PUNCH reports that 20 out of 30 prospective corps members were kidnapped while travelling from Oyo to orientation camps in Abia State, as the remaining 10 escaped through the bush.

They regained their freedom seven days after abduction along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Umunoha, Imo State.

Abiala, speaking in Ibadan on Thursday, described her daughter’s safe return as a moment of overwhelming relief, admonishing the Federal Government to provide stronger security arrangements for corps members travelling to their states of deployment or consider transporting them by air.

She said, “My advice to the government is that when corps members are posted to states for their service, the government should ensure proper security arrangements, or allow them to travel by air to avoid these kinds of dangerous road journeys.

“I cannot recount all the tears and sorrow, but I give thanks to God that I am seeing her alive today. On the day she was taken, I was so devastated I couldn’t even eat, but today my heart is filled with joy.

“I thank God, and I thank the DSS officials—they really tried! The team from Oyo State and the team from Imo State, they really tried and stood by us until our children came out safe and sound,” she stressed.

One of the victims, who did not want her name in print, started crying immediately when she sighted her parents, saying, “It was a horrible experience.”

Another mother of one of the victims, Alhaja Alimot Akande, described their release as a major relief after days of uncertainty.

“It is good news! Good news! Good news!” she said.

She said the confirmation of the victims’ release finally enabled their families to sleep peacefully after days of anguish.

“Ah! Immediately I heard they were released yesterday, I slept soundly!” Akande said.

The abductors demanded N50m each for the victim, amounting to N1bn, before they later reduced the ransom to N5m per person, totalling N100m.

The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, had confirmed this to The PUNCH on Friday.

On Thursday, some of the parents disclosed that they paid ransom in dollars to the abductors before the release of their wards.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, however, said the kidnappers succumbed to pressure from security agencies, who combed the forest during a rescue operation, adding that he was not aware that any ransom had been paid.

Recall that the victims’ parents had, on Saturday, besieged the private residence of Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan, alongside the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, to come to their aid.

Speaking after the announcement of their release on Wednesday, the Olubadan, in a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, said, “The kidnapped graduates have been released. The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, confirmed this in a telephone conversation at about 5.00 pm.” (The Nation)

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