The mother of one of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in Imo State has described how her family borrowed money and relied on contributions from relatives, friends and other individuals to raise N6 million allegedly paid to secure her son’s release.
Alirat Wahab said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim before reducing the amount following negotiations with the families.
She disclosed this in interviews with News Central on Wednesday and Thursday, after the abducted graduates were released.
According to Wahab, the kidnappers initially insisted on N50 million per victim but later agreed to reduce the demand to N5 million. The amount was subsequently raised to N15 million before negotiations eventually brought her family’s payment down to N6 million.
She said the families were under intense pressure as they negotiated with the abductors, who had reportedly allowed some victims brief access to their phones.
“As we kept pleading, they initially agreed to N5m, but later refused,” Wahab said. “Later on, around three days ago, they said they would collect N15m from us. We started pleading again, saying we only had N5.5m at the time, but they insisted on N6m.”
She said the families were later asked to meet in Ibadan, Oyo State, and send representatives to Imo State with the ransom.
Wahab said her husband and the victim’s brother were among those who travelled to Imo, where they were instructed to convert the money into dollars rather than transfer it into an account.
“When they got there, they discussed that we should not send the money through an account. By the time they got to Imo State, they should go and convert it to dollars,” she said.
Raising the money, she added, required contributions from several people as well as loans taken by the family.
Some donors contributed N5,000, N20,000 or N50,000, while others gave whatever they could afford, she said.
“It was other people that helped us so our money could complete. We borrowed money, and others helped us,” Wahab said.
She added that some of the contributions were paid into her sister’s account before the funds were gathered to meet the ransom demand.
Her husband, who also spoke in the interview, said parents of the abducted prospective corps members pooled money to secure their children’s release.
He said his family contributed N6 million, while some other families paid N5 million.
According to him, the parents also met at Adamasingba in Ibadan to coordinate the ransom arrangements. Additional contributions were made to cover the expenses of representatives travelling to Imo State, with each person reportedly contributing N100,000.
The family’s account conflicts with a statement by the Imo State Government that no ransom was paid to secure the victims’ release.
Reacting to the government’s position, the father dismissed the claim, insisting that the parents raised and paid the money.
The family said they learnt of the victims’ release after the victim’s elder brother, who had travelled to Imo State with the representatives, contacted them.
Wahab said the family was informed that the abducted graduates had been handed over after the ransom was delivered.
The police had earlier confirmed the rescue of the 20 prospective corps members, who were abducted while travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camp.
The victims were reportedly travelling towards Abia State when they were intercepted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
Police said they were rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village following sustained search and rescue operations and were taken for medical assessment and other necessary care.
Authorities said efforts were continuing to identify and arrest those responsible for the abduction.
The kidnappers had initially reportedly demanded N50 million for each victim before the ransom was later reduced following negotiations with the families.
While the Imo State Government maintains that no ransom was paid, the family of one of the victims says the parents raised millions of naira to secure their children’s release.
