Parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State have appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to help secure the safe release of their children.
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The distraught parents visited Ladoja at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, alongside the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.
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The parents said the abductors had demanded N50m for each of the 20 victims, amounting to N1bn, and threatened to harm them if the ransom was not provided within 24 hours.
The prospective corps members were travelling from Ibadan to various NYSC orientation camps on Thursday when gunmen attacked vehicles conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State.
The incident has left the families searching for information about their children while security agencies intensify efforts to locate the victims.
Some of the parents also accused the transport company that conveyed the graduates from Ibadan of failing to provide information that could have helped them reach other affected families.
They alleged that when they visited Eduak King Transport Company in Samonda, Ibadan, to obtain the next-of-kin details of passengers on the affected vehicle, the company declined to provide the information.
One of the affected mothers, Iyabo Akande, whose daughter Kehinde was among those abducted, called on the Federal Government and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the transport company and determine whether any wrongdoing occurred.
Another parent, Olawale Olaleye, expressed concern that the transport company had continued its operations despite the incident. He said the parents were surprised to find another vehicle being loaded when they visited the company’s premises while searching for information.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande said the kidnappers had been contacting them since Friday and demanding N50m for each victim.
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The families said they were unable to raise the N1bn demanded and appealed to Ladoja and the police to intervene quickly to prevent the abductors from carrying out their threats.
Ladoja assured the parents that efforts were being made by the security agencies to rescue the victims safely. He said the families would be kept informed of developments as more information became available.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police said he had been communicating with his Imo State counterpart since the abduction occurred. According to him, the Imo police command had assured him that efforts were ongoing to secure the victims’ release without harm.
Abimbola did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid or provide specific details about the ongoing operation.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, said Nadada arrived in Imo with two Commissioners of Police and carried out an on-the-spot assessment of the incident and the rescue efforts.
The DIG also reviewed the deployment of personnel and operational equipment and issued further directives aimed at strengthening the response.
The assessment involved the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso; the Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations, Akpan Anifiok; the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force; other security commanders and members of the Imo State Police Command’s management team.
The police said the operation was being conducted in cooperation with other security agencies to rescue the abducted persons and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
The police also appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the rescue operation, assuring that information supplied to security agencies would be treated confidentially.
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