The journey to serve Nigeria has turned into a nightmare for 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members after kidnappers reportedly slapped a staggering N50m ransom on each graduate.
The young graduates were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when gunmen intercepted two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State.
The individual demands add up to N950m, throwing families into panic as they struggle to establish contact with their children.
The victims, according to the bus operator, left Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday. Traffic around Benin, Edo State, delayed the journey, while the buses eventually stopped around Oba in Anambra State before continuing towards the South-East early Thursday.
They had barely entered Imo State when armed men reportedly emerged from the bush, blocked the vehicles and forced passengers away.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, said the attackers took 19 prospective corps members into the bush while the drivers managed to escape and raise the alarm.
The abandoned buses were later found at the scene, with passengers’ belongings still inside.
The Imo State Police Command subsequently announced that security agencies had rescued 10 victims and were pursuing the kidnappers.
However, the command did not immediately establish whether those rescued were among the prospective corps members.
The ransom demand has since added a frightening dimension to the ordeal.
According to reports, some of the abductors contacted families through the victims’ phones and demanded N50m for individual releases.
One mother, Mrs Oladosu, said her daughter Greatness and other corps members were seen during a video call with the kidnappers.
The mother reportedly saw the young graduates sitting on the ground in the bush and crying, prompting fears over what could happen if the ransom was not paid.
Another victim, Akande Farouq, who was posted to Abia State, reportedly managed to send just one chilling word to his family WhatsApp group before his phone went dead:
“Kidnappers!”
His mother, Mrs Alimotu Akanke, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, security agencies and the NYSC authorities to secure the release of her son and the other victims.
The incident has also triggered social media campaigns, with friends identifying some of the missing graduates and calling for urgent action to bring them home safely.
Among those identified in various appeals are Precious Oladipupo, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Wahab Ayandare and Oyindamola Adeoye.
The Oyo State Government has joined the rescue effort, condemning the abduction and saying Governor Seyi Makinde directed that all necessary resources be deployed to secure the victims’ safe return.
The government said it was liaising with security agencies, the Imo State Government and NYSC leadership over the incident.
But beyond the immediate crisis is a disturbing question: why are graduates travelling to serve their country repeatedly becoming easy targets for kidnappers?
The Imo attack came just 36 days after 15 prospective corps members were abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Kogi State while travelling from Bayelsa towards Abuja. They were later rescued from Egume Forest.
Other prospective and serving corps members have also been kidnapped in different parts of the country, including cases involving travellers heading to orientation camps.
A 2023 investigation by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism reported at least 80 corps members abducted between 2013 and 2023, while recent reports indicate that the problem has continued.
Security analysts have consequently called for a rethink of how corps members are moved between states, particularly through known kidnapping corridors.
The latest incident has left families facing a cruel dilemma: their children left home to begin national service — and some families are now being asked to produce N50m each simply to bring them back home.
