NYSC Kidnap: How I paid N6m to secure my son’s release from kidnappers – Mother

A mother of one of the prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) abducted in Imo State has said she paid N6 million ransom to secure her son’s release.

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

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, made the disclosure in an interview with News Central Television on Wednesday, saying the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim.

According to her, the abductors later reduced the amount demanded for her son to N6 million after the family pleaded with them.

“Initially, they asked us to pay N50 million per head. We asked whether the amount was for all of them, but they insisted that no, it was for each person. Later, we started begging them to take N500,000. But they said no and started scaring us,” she said in Yoruba.

She said the kidnappers contacted the family three days before the interview and demanded N15 million, but eventually agreed to accept N6 million.

“Three days ago, they called and said we should pay N15 million. We kept begging them that all we had was N5.5 million. They said no and insisted on N6 million. So, it’s that N6 million we paid,” she said.

The mother said the abductors also instructed the families of the victims to send representatives to meet them in Ibadan as part of arrangements for the ransom payment.

“They called all the parents of all the victims. Twenty of them are in the bush. They then asked us to send three persons each to meet with them in Ibadan. My husband and my son’s elder brother went,” she said.

According to her, the representatives were later instructed to transfer the ransom to an account and convert the money to dollars when they arrived in Imo State.

She said her elder son was among those who met the abductors and delivered the ransom.

“It is not rumours. They have all been released and sent to us. His brother is among the people who went to meet with the abductors three days ago. They left with the ransom,” she said.

The woman said her son’s brother later contacted the family to confirm that the ransom had been delivered and that the abducted NYSC member had been released.

“It was the brother who called us this evening to say that they had handed the ransom to the kidnappers and that they had released our son. We also spoke to the boy,” she added.

Recounting the emotional toll of the abduction, the mother said she suffered sleepless nights and other physical effects while her son was in captivity.

“Since he was kidnapped, I have been stooling. I couldn’t sleep either. But I was relieved when I heard they had been released. It was as though the chains all over me were loosened,” she said.

The reported ransom payment comes amid continuing concerns over the safety of prospective corps members and other travellers on major highways in the South-East.

Authorities have yet to publicly confirm the details of the alleged N6 million payment or provide further details on whether any suspects have been arrested in connection with the abduction.

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