Kidnappers Demand N950m Ransom for 19 NYSC Bound Graduates in Imo.
Kidnappers who abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling to their orientation camps have reportedly demanded a combined N950 million ransom for their release.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
According to Isiah Akpan, Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, the abductors are demanding N50 million for each of the 19 victims, bringing the reported total to N950 million. Some families are said to have been contacted directly by the kidnappers.
A parent of one of the victims reportedly told Blueprint that the abductors contacted her using her son’s phone and demanded N50 million for his release. Another relative said families had also received a video call in which some of the abducted graduates were seen together.
The reported ransom demand comes as families await further information on the whereabouts and safety of the victims, while efforts to secure their release continue.
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