Mother Explains How Family Raised ₦6m Ransom for Abducted Prospective Corps Member

The mother, Alirat Wahab, said the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million for each victim but later reduced the amount following repeated pleas from the affected families.

Speaking in interviews with News Central Television, Wahab explained that the negotiations continued for several days before the abductors eventually insisted on ₦6 million for her son.

She said the family had managed to gather about ₦5.5 million at one point but was pressured to raise the additional amount to meet the final demand.

According to her, relatives, friends and other well-wishers contributed different sums, including ₦5,000, ₦20,000 and ₦50,000, while the family also borrowed money to make up the balance.

Wahab explained that the contributions were collected through her sister’s bank account, with people giving whatever they could afford to help secure the young man’s freedom.

She further disclosed that the families were summoned to Ibadan, Oyo State, and instructed to send representatives to Imo State with the money. The representatives were reportedly told not to transfer the funds electronically but to take the money to Imo State and convert it into dollars.

Her husband also said the parents of the abducted prospective corps members pooled resources to meet the demands. He disclosed that his family’s contribution was ₦6 million, while some other families reportedly paid ₦5 million.

The father added that the parents met at Adamasingba in Ibadan to coordinate arrangements for the payments and contributed additional money to cover the travel expenses of representatives sent to Imo State.

The family’s account differs from the position of the Imo State Government, which maintained that the victims were released without ransom payment. Police officials have also said the victims were rescued through coordinated security operations, although the police commissioner stated that he was not aware whether ransom had been paid.

The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. The attack occurred along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo State.

Police later announced that the victims had been rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village following search-and-rescue operations. They were taken for medical assessment and care after their release.

Authorities said efforts were continuing to identify and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.