20 Rescued Prospective Corps Members Back In Oyo
The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members, who were rescued on Wednesday, have arrived in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Checks revealed that only representatives of the victims’ parents were given access to the DSS office, while others were staying outside.
Twenty out of 30 prospective corps members were kidnapped while travelling on two buses from Oyo to orientation camps in Abia State. The remaining 10 escaped through the bush.
They regained their freedom seven days after abduction along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Umunoha, Imo State.
The abductors demanded N50 million each for the victim, amounting to N1 billion. They later reduced the ransom to N5 million per person, totalling N100 million.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, had confirmed this on Friday.
It will also be recalled that the victims’ parents had, on Saturday, besieged the private residence of Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan, alongside the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, to come to their aid.
However, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, shortly after the prospective corps members regained their freedom, said, “The kidnapped graduates have been released. The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, confirmed this in a telephone conversation at about 5.00pm,” Olubadan stated this in a statement issued by his media aide, Adeola Oloko in Ibadan.
