Daud Olatunji
Parents of the 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway have said their ransom contributions were refunded following the victims’ release, but expressed uncertainty over whether the money was eventually paid to the kidnappers.
The parents disclosed that all the families had received their money back, including the N6m reportedly paid by the family of one of the abductees, as questions remained unanswered about the circumstances surrounding the refunds.
One of the parents, Obasanjo, and Alirat Wahab, whose son was among the abducted prospective corps members, made the disclosure in interviews with News Central, as reported by TheCable on Sunday.
The incident occurred on October 1, when gunmen reportedly attacked two 18-seater buses conveying the prospective corps members from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to Anambra State, abducting 20 passengers.
The kidnappers initially demanded N1bn from the victims’ families before reducing the ransom to N5m per person, bringing the total demand for the 20 abductees to N100m.
After seven days in captivity, the victims were rescued on Wednesday in Amakohia Ubi village, Imo State, during a joint security operation involving operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and the military.
The police spokesperson, Anietie Iniedu, had announced the rescue, although details of the operation and the circumstances surrounding the victims’ release remained unclear in the account.
Speaking after her son’s release, Alirat disclosed that her family had paid N6m to the kidnappers to secure his freedom.
However, in a subsequent interview, Obasanjo said he could not confirm whether representatives selected by the affected families had eventually handed the ransom to the abductors.
He explained that representatives had been sent to negotiate for the release of the victims after the kidnappers requested that designated individuals bring the ransom.
“They went to look for the kidnapped corps members to see whether they would be freed or not,” he said.
“The kidnappers had asked for representatives to bring the ransom. Since they could no longer hold the corps members hostage, they let them go.”
Obasanjo, however, did not identify the individuals or organisation responsible for returning the contributions or explain how the refunds were arranged.
He said all the affected families had received their money back, including the N6m contributed by his family.
When pressed to clarify whether the ransom had been paid, he said the families were unaware of what transpired between the representatives and the kidnappers.
“We don’t know,” he said.
Obasanjo disclosed that one representative was selected from his family, while two others were chosen from other affected families to handle the engagement with the kidnappers.
Alirat corroborated the account, saying the money was returned to the representatives who had gone on behalf of the families.
“They returned it to those who went to represent us. Every parent has received their money back,” she said.
Despite the unresolved questions surrounding the ransom, Obasanjo appealed to the public to put the matter behind them and expressed appreciation to the Imo State Government for the safe return of the victims.
“You know what, let’s forget the matter and just appeal to the Imo State Government. We should be grateful to them,” he said.
“The money has been returned. We just want to thank Imo for a job well done.”
The refund has left unanswered questions about whether any ransom was paid, who facilitated the return of the money and what role the selected representatives played in securing the victims’ release.
Neither the parents’ accounts, as reported, nor the information provided about the rescue established whether the kidnappers received any payment before releasing the prospective corps members.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
