The family of a prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State says it paid ₦6 million to secure his release, raising questions over the circumstances surrounding the freedom of the victims.
The claim was made by the mother of one of the rescued prospective corps members in interviews with News Central Television following the release of the abductees on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
According to the woman, whose name was not disclosed, the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million for each of the victims before reducing the amount following negotiations with the families.
She said the abductors later demanded ₦15 million from her family but eventually agreed to accept ₦6 million after relatives told them they could not raise the larger amount.
The woman said her husband and her other son were among relatives who travelled to meet representatives of the abductors as part of the ransom negotiations. She alleged that the money was eventually transferred and arrangements were made for the victim’s release.
She also said her family was able to speak with the freed corps member after the ransom was delivered.
The account, however, has not been independently confirmed by the police, and it conflicts with the official explanation given by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Bosso, who said security agencies rescued the victims through sustained search-and-rescue operations.
Speaking to Channels Television on Thursday, Bosso said he was not aware of any ransom being paid for the release of the victims.
“To my knowledge, no. I am not aware whether a ransom was paid,” the commissioner said, explaining that security agencies had mounted pressure on the kidnappers and combed the area where the victims were being held.
The conflicting accounts are significant because the Nigeria Police Force officially described the operation as a rescue. Police spokesperson Anietie Iniedu said the victims were rescued on October 7 at Amakohia Ubi Village in Imo State following sustained search-and-rescue operations involving security agencies.
The police statement did not say that ransom had been paid.
The incident began on October 1, when gunmen attacked vehicles travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards NYSC orientation camps in the South-East. The prospective corps members were travelling to camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when they were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha route.
The number of victims reported in the aftermath also varied in early accounts. Subsequent police and media reports identified 20 prospective corps members and another passenger among those rescued, although some initial reports cited a lower number of NYSC members. The police subsequently confirmed the rescue operation and said the victims were taken for medical assessment and necessary care.
Premium Times reported that the victims were taken to a DSS facility in Owerri following their release and that security agencies had conducted a coordinated operation involving police, military and intelligence personnel.
The latest ransom allegations add another dimension to the case. Another report based on interviews with relatives said some families claimed to have paid between ₦3 million and ₦6 million to the abductors. One father reportedly said he borrowed ₦6 million to secure his son’s safety.
These claims remain allegations from the victims’ families and have not been established by the police as the reason for the release.
The mother who spoke about the ₦6 million payment said the financial burden was compounded by the urgency of the situation and the fear that something could happen to her son while he remained in captivity. She said relatives had to mobilise money to meet the kidnappers’ demands.
Her account also illustrates the financial pressure that kidnapping can place on families, particularly when ransom demands are made while victims are still being held.
The Imo police command, meanwhile, said security agencies were continuing efforts to identify and arrest those responsible for the abduction. Bosso said additional tactical and intelligence personnel had been deployed to strengthen security around the affected road and other identified flashpoints in the state.
The rescued victims were reported to be receiving medical attention after their release. Police said they would subsequently be handed over to the NYSC authorities for further necessary action.
For now, the circumstances surrounding the release remain disputed. The families’ accounts point to ransom payments in at least some cases, while the police maintain that sustained security pressure resulted in the victims being freed and say the command has no knowledge of any ransom payment.
Until investigators establish what happened, the ₦6 million payment should therefore be treated as a claim by the affected family rather than a confirmed account of how the NYSC members were released.