Twenty prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who were abducted in Imo State, have reportedly been allowed to choose any of the six South-West states for their national service.
A parent of one of the victims said in an interview that the graduates could continue their service in the region with the current batch.
The parent also disclosed that the families paid N6 million in ransom for each victim’s release, with relatives and well-wishers contributing towards the payments.
The graduates were abducted on October 1 along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha, in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, while travelling in two commercial buses to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
They regained their freedom on October 7 following a security operation and were taken to a Department of State Services hospital in Owerri for medical evaluation.
However, the families’ claims of ransom payments have been disputed by the police. Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said he was unaware of any payment, attributing the victims’ release to pressure from security agencies.
The NYSC had yet to publicly confirm the reported South-West posting arrangement as of the time of filing this report.
