The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, says he is unaware of any ransom payment made to secure the release of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were abducted and later freed.
Bosso made the statement on Thursday during an interview with Channels Television, following allegations by some parents that they paid millions of naira to secure their children’s release.
The prospective corps members were released on Wednesday, one week after they were kidnapped on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
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They were abducted at about 6:30 a.m. along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, near Umunoha in Imo State.
During the interview, Bosso maintained that the victims were released following sustained pressure from joint security operatives.
Asked whether ransom was paid to secure their freedom, the commissioner responded, “To my knowledge, no.”
He added that he could not confirm whether any payment was made but insisted that security operatives carried out their responsibilities professionally.
“I am not aware whether a ransom was paid or not. We did what we were supposed to do as professionals, and that was how we got them,” he said.
However, some parents of the abducted prospective corps members told News Central Television in separate interviews that they paid between ₦5 million and ₦6 million to the kidnappers.
Alirat Wahab, the mother of one of the victims, said her family paid ₦6 million to secure her child’s release. She also alleged that the kidnappers instructed them to convert the money into dollars.
No Suspects Arrested Yet
Bosso disclosed that no suspects had been arrested in connection with the abduction as of Thursday, adding that security operations were ongoing to track down the perpetrators.
According to him, security operatives were searching surrounding bushes and conducting coordinated operations to ensure the kidnappers were apprehended.
“As we speak, we still have ongoing coordinated operations – combing the bushes to make sure that the perpetrators are arrested,” he said.
Police Deploy Additional Tactical Teams
The commissioner also said the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, had deployed additional tactical teams to the affected area to prevent a recurrence of the incident.
He explained that mobile police personnel and the Intelligence Response Team had been deployed to strengthen security around the location of the attack and other parts of the state.
“As we speak, mobile men are on the ground, and the intelligence response team is equally on the ground. We have fortified the axis where the attack happened and the entire state,” Bosso said.
While the police commissioner attributed the victims’ release to security operations, some families maintained that they paid ransom to the kidnappers. The circumstances surrounding the alleged payments remain disputed.
