They Are Demanding Ransom Of N70m, Families Of Kidnapped Corps Members Cry Out

Parents of Corps members kidnapped along Zamfara State Highway while traveling to Sokoto State Orientation Camp for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme have cried out over the N70m ransom being demanded by the kidnappers before their children are released.

Recall that eleven prospective corps members were reported to have been abducted on August 17, 2023, on a highway in Zamfara State on their way to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Sokoto.

The NYSC announced the release of three of the abducted corps members on the 18th of September 2023, a month after they had been kidnapped.

In October, NYSC, through its spokesperson, Eddy Megwa, also stated that it has secured the release of another corps member.

The parents who spoke in Akwa Ibom State, stated that the kidnappers warned that if the N70m ransom was not raised, they would start to kill their children one after another.

The parents therefore appealed to the federal and the state governments to assist them in the release of the victims.

One of the parents, Solomon Emmanuel, pointed out that two of the victims; a male and a female, only regained their freedom after their parents struggled to raise the ransom the kidnappers had demanded.

Emmanuel lamented that the N70m being demanded by the kidnappers were above them and called on the government to help secure the release of their children.

“I feel so bad when the government, particularly security agencies, say they are doing something to rescue those children. We only hear such things in the news, but we are not seeing results. The N70m those people are demanding currently is beyond us. We cannot afford that amount of money.

“So, this is the time for the government to show that they are truly doing something about rescuing our children they sent to serve their fatherland in Sokoto and they were kidnapped. That is why we decided to gather today and collectively appeal to the government for help,” he said.

Another parent who identified herself as Mrs Idongesit, stated that she was happy when she saw her daughter off when she was traveling to the camp because she was with other Corps members and blamed the transport company for what happened to her daughter.

“The last time I saw my daughter was at the AKTC motorpark when I saw her off. That day, I felt happy when I saw other corps members traveling with her. How could I have known that my daughter would not be safe traveling in AKTC ? Till today I blame the AKTC for what happened to those children in Zamfara.

“We were told that the Driver was told not to go through that route once it is 6pm, but he didn’t listen. And after that first 6 incident happened, I have not been able to talk to my child again because they collected their phones from them. It hurts when I think about the punishment, suffering those children are passing through in the bush,” she lamented.