Parents of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State have confirmed that the money they contributed towards their children’s release has been returned to them.
The parents’ account has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the ransom contributions, particularly after security agencies announced that they rescued the victims without paying the kidnappers.
Obasanjo and Alirat Wahab, parents of one of the rescued corps members, disclosed that the families received refunds of the money they gathered together following the abduction.
However, it remains unclear who facilitated the refunds, how the money was recovered and whether the funds ever reached the kidnappers.
The development comes days after gunmen abducted 20 prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their respective orientation camps in the eastern part of the country.
The attackers reportedly intercepted two buses conveying the victims along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway on October 1, 2026, and took them into captivity.
The kidnappers initially demanded ₦1 billion for the victims’ release before reducing the ransom to ₦5 million per person, bringing the total demand to ₦100 million. Some families reportedly raised between ₦3 million and ₦6 million while trying to secure their children’s freedom.
Security operatives subsequently rescued the victims on October 7 during a joint operation involving personnel of the Department of State Services, the police and the military in Amakohia Ubi village, Imo State.
The police said sustained search-and-rescue operations led to the victims’ recovery after seven days in captivity.
The parents’ confirmation of the refunds has introduced a new dimension to the incident, given earlier reports that some families had paid money to secure their children’s release.
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