The parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members kidnaped in Imo State while travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps, said their abductors ordered them 24 hours to pay N1 billion ransom for their release.
The aggrieved parents confessed this to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan yesterday, along with the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.
The Imo State Police Command yesterday said it has located where the prospective National Youth Service Corps members were being held, but security men have delayed moving into the camp for fear that the hoodlums might have planted improvised explosive devices, The Nation reports.
The 20 graduates were reported to be heading to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states from Ibadan on Thursday when gunmen ambushed the two buses conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million each victim, a total of around N1 billion.
Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande, speaking on behalf of the affected families, said the abductors had been calling them using the mobile phones of the abducted potential Corps members.
“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) demanding N50 million each as ransom. They are threatening that if we don’t listen to their demands, something bad would happen to our children.
“We are not in a position to raise such a sum at this time. Help us, Baba. “Don’t let them kill our kids,” the parents said.
They called on Oba Ladoja and the police commissioner to intercede and ensure the immediate release of their children.
In his response, Ladoja told the parents that attempts were on to rescue the victims unhurt.
“I want to assure you that your children will be rescued safe and sound, he said. We will pass on to you any facts we learn.
“The Police are working round the clock to get their rescue. “Don’t worry, the police are on the job and nothing will happen to your children.”
Also addressing, the State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, said he had notified his Imo State counterpart on the issue.
“I have reached out to Imo State CP. “We have been in contact since the day of incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” he stated.
The police commissioner did not say if any ransom had been paid or give specifics of continuing rescue operations.
Police discover abductors’ camp, delay raid on IED worries
The Imo State Police Command yesterday stated it has traced the spot where the prospective youth corps members were kept but security personnel had postponed the entry into the camp for concern that the routes could have been booby-trapped with Improvised Explosive Devices.
The state Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, gave an update on the search-and-rescue effort in a media interview, saying the police deployed drones on Friday to trace the suspected camp after security officers traced the abductors to the jungle.
He noted however that security forces were being cautious because intelligence reports showed the camp was rigged with improvised explosive devices.
“We’ll still go into the bush, at any time. We were in the jungle yesterday, we tracked them up to a certain location but at that point in time, we could not advance into where the GPS informed us they were.
“But our dilemma is that with the intel we have, the camp is mined with IEDs,” stated the commissioner.
Bosso said the security authorities were preparing to go into the region with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel vehicles, to rescue the victims securely.
We are going in there with high, you know, high velocity vehicles; that is bulldozers. He also said they were going in with bulldozers and APCs to see how they could rescue the victims unharmed.
DIG Operations, 2 Commissioners Sent by IGP To Rescue Victims
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada to Imo State to coordinate the search and rescue operation of 20 prospective corps members and other passengers kidnaped on the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The victims were taken on Thursday, 1st of October at Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.
Nadada, who came with two Commissioners of Police to Imo, quickly went on an on-the-spot assessment of the tragedy and the ongoing efforts of the Imo State Police Command in rescuing the victims.
Also, the DIG inspected the deployment of personnel and operational assets and given additional directions to further improve the coordinated response, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, said in a statement.
He was helped in the evaluation by the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Audu Garba Bosso; Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations, CP Akpan Anifiok; and the Commissioner of Police charged with the Police Mobile Force.
Other service commanders and members of the executive team of the Imo State Police Command were also present at the assessment.
The police said the search-and-rescue operation was escalated with extra tactical teams and operational equipment sent to the designated zones.
The police said they were also working with other security agencies to arrange the safe release of the victims and apprehend those guilty while intelligence-led tracing of the alleged abductors was being done.
Nadada told the residents that the police would continue the operation until the abducted persons were rescued.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and would continue the operation until the successful conclusion of the mission,” he said. Africans & Diaspora
He called on the public and the media to be calm and attentive while urging anyone with genuine information that could help the operation to notify the police or the nearest security formation.
The DIG promised members of the public that information submitted to the police would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
The Force said there would be further information as the operation progresses.
Parents storm Olubadan, obtain assurance
The parents of 20 graduates abducted on their way from Ibadan to the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Imo State have appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja to assist in securing their freedom from captivity.
The parents who were about 20 in number, pleaded with Oba Ladoja in his Bodija, Ibadan house to use his good offices and personal connection to wade into the case and secure their release.
Speaking through two of the parents – Alhaja Halima Akande and Mr Oyebola Michael Akande, they stated the ordeal of their children in the hands of their captors in the last two days was better imagined.
The first class monarch who received them together with the Oyo State Police Commissioner Olugbenga Abimbola and the Aseyin of Iseyin Oba Sefiu Oyebola Adeyeri reassured them that government would sort out the situation saying government is as concerned about the matter as anyone else
“Thank God the Oyo CP is here. He’ll brief you,” he added.
“The Oyo State Police boss assured members of the public that government is on top of the situation.
Makinde urges for better intelligence, coordination
The Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organization (MDPCO) said the sacrifices of the security personnel in the fight against insecurity should be matched with stronger coordination and intelligence-led operations that can prevent attacks and secure vulnerable communities and transport routes. Executive Branch
The request came after the reported kidnapping of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were heading from Ibadan, Oyo State to orientation sites in the Southeast and South-South on October 1.
The incident highlighted the need for more effective preventive measures and prompt reaction to security concerns, especially on key highways, the MDPCO said yesterday in a statement by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa.
It voiced concern over the safety of young Nigerians on national service travelling and called on security authorities to step up efforts to ensure the safe release of those currently in custody.
The organization also urged more cooperation between security services, greater intelligence collecting and faster reaction procedures to lessen the vulnerability of communities and visitors to attacks by criminal groups.
The event also underlined the broader security concerns facing Nigerians, particularly those journeying between states for job, school and other national tasks, added the MDPCO.
It appreciated the sacrifices of security personnel and said their efforts should be supported by mechanisms that enable agencies to share intelligence effectively, identify new dangers and respond rapidly to situations.
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