Distraught parents and relatives of 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State have been thrown into deep anguish following a staggering ₦950 million ransom demand by their captors.

 

The victims were en route to their assigned orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen intercepted their vehicles along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State.

 

#### **How the Ambush Unfolded**

 

Providing a detailed account of the journey, Isiah Akpan, Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, explained that the two commercial buses departed Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday.

 

* **Traffic & Delays:** Heavy traffic around Benin, Edo State, delayed the vehicles, forcing them to arrive late in Onitsha, Anambra State.

* **Overnight Stopover:** Due to poor road conditions and safety concerns, the drivers and passengers spent the night in Oba.

* **The Attack:** Resuming their trip around 5:00 AM on Thursday, the buses had barely crossed into Imo State when armed men emerged from the bush and ambushed them.

* **Initial Response Interrupted:** While the drivers managed to escape and alert security personnel at a nearby checkpoint, pursuit efforts faced initial delays when local villagers blocked security forces from removing the abandoned buses from the highway.

 

The gunmen marched 19 corps members into the surrounding forest, leaving passengers' belongings scattered inside the abandoned vehicles.

 

#### **Video Calls and Desperate Appeals**

 

By Friday morning, the abductors began placing calls directly to distraught parents using the victims' mobile phones, demanding ₦50 million per head.

 

One heartbroken mother, Mrs. Oladosu—whose daughter Greatness was traveling to Uyo—recounted receiving a brief video call from the kidnappers.

 

> *"They used my daughter’s number to call us. We saw her and other corps members sitting on the ground in the bush, crying. Where will petty traders get ₦50m? They are just going to serve Nigeria; why this punishment?"*

 

Another parent confirmed receiving a similar demand: *"The kidnappers called with my son’s phone... and demanded ₦50m for his release. The ₦50m is for only my son."*

 

While police tactical teams and aerial drones have pinpointed the abductors' hideout, rescue teams continue to navigate complex terrain as they work to free the captives safely.