The parents of one of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State have confirmed that the money contributed by the affected families as ransom has been refunded.
Alirat Wahab had earlier told News Central that her family paid N6 million to secure her son’s release after he was abducted alongside 19 other prospective corps members along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on October 1.
However, in a subsequent interview with the media platform, Obasanjo Wahab said the money had been returned to the families, although they were unaware of whether the ransom was eventually paid to the kidnappers.
“The money has been returned. We just want to thank Imo for a job well done,” Obasanjo said.
Asked whether the money had been handed over to the abductors before the victims were released, he said the families could not confirm this.
“We don’t know,” he said.
According to him, representatives were selected from the affected families to handle negotiations and seek the release of the abductees. His family nominated one representative, while two others were selected from other families.
“They went to look for the kidnapped corps members to see whether they would be freed or not,” he said.
Obasanjo explained that the kidnappers had requested representatives to bring the ransom but eventually released the victims.
“The kidnappers had asked for representatives to bring the ransom. Since they could no longer hold the corps members hostage, they let them go,” he added.
He did not reveal who refunded the money or the circumstances surrounding the refunds but urged the public to move on from the incident and appreciate the Imo State Government for its role in securing the victims’ release.
“You know what, let’s forget the matter and just appeal to the Imo State Government. We should be grateful to them,” he said.
Alirat also confirmed that the money had been returned to the representatives who acted on behalf of the affected families.
“They returned it to those who went to represent us. Every parent has received their money back,” she said.
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 when gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses conveying passengers from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to Anambra State.
The kidnappers initially demanded N1 billion from the victims’ families before reportedly reducing the ransom to N5 million per person, bringing the total demand to N100 million.
On Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, Anietie Iniedu, announced that the victims had been rescued after seven days in captivity.
The police said the rescue operation was jointly carried out by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and the police.
According to the police, the victims were rescued in Amakohia Ubi village in Imo State.
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