On Friday, parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were abducted last Thursday on the Owerri‑Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, gathered at the private residence of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to beg for help in rescuing their children.
The kidnappers, who seized the group of PCMs travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps, threatened to kill the victims if a ransom of N1 billion was not paid within 24 hours. The parents, accompanied by Oyo State Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Abimbola and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, pleaded that they could not raise such an amount.
In a statement, Oba Ladoja assured the families that security agencies were working round the clock to recover the abducted graduates unharmed. “I want to assure you that your children will be rescued unharmed,” he said, adding that the police were coordinating closely with other agencies.
Some parents also accused Eduak King Transport Company in Samonda, Ibadan, of withholding vital passenger information. Mrs Iyabo Akande, whose daughter Kehinde was among the abducted, demanded that the Inspector‑General of Police investigate the operator. “They refused to provide the next‑of‑kin list,” she said, calling for accountability. Olawale Olaleye echoed the sentiment, noting that the company was still operating vehicles after the incident.
Meanwhile, Inspector‑General Olatunji Disu deployed Deputy Inspector‑General Shehu Nadada to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation. According to Force Public Relations Officer CSP Anietie Iniedu, Nadada arrived with two commissioners
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
