I Paid N6m For My Son’s Release — Mother Of Freed NYSC Member

The mother of one of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members recently released in Imo State has disclosed that she paid N6 million to secure her son’s freedom.

The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 after gunmen intercepted two 18-seater buses travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, made the disclosure during an interview with News Central Television on Wednesday.

She said the abductors initially demanded N50 million for each victim before eventually reducing the amount demanded for her son to N6 million.

According to her account, the kidnappers first insisted on N50 million per victim despite pleas from the families. The families reportedly offered N500,000, but the abductors rejected the amount and continued to pressure them.

She said that about three days before the victims were released, the kidnappers reduced their demand to N15 million but eventually agreed to accept N6 million after further negotiations.

The mother said the abductors instructed the families to send representatives to Ibadan to discuss the ransom payment.

She explained that her husband and elder son went to meet the kidnappers in Ibadan, alongside representatives of other affected families.

According to her, the representatives were instructed to transfer the money into an account and later convert it to dollars after reaching Imo State.

She said her elder son participated in the delivery of the ransom and later contacted the family to confirm that the payment had been made and her younger son released.

The mother said she was also able to speak directly with her son after his release, confirming that he was free.

She said the incident caused her severe emotional distress, adding that she struggled to sleep and suffered health problems throughout the period her son was in captivity.

The release of the 20 prospective corps members had earlier been attributed by security authorities to a joint operation involving the police, military, Department of State Services and other security agencies.

However, the conflicting accounts over whether ransom was paid have continued, with security authorities attributing the release to an intelligence-led operation while some relatives have disclosed making payments to the abductors.