By AnchorNews Reporter

OWERRI - Families of 19 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps abducted in Imo State have been thrown into panic after their captors reportedly demanded a total ransom of N950 million for their release.

The victims, who were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to various NYSC orientation camps, were reportedly kidnapped on Thursday when gunmen intercepted two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.

The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, who confirmed the incident, said the abductors demanded N50 million for each of the victims.

According to him, the affected passengers were prospective corps members heading to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

Akpan explained that the two buses had departed from Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan on Wednesday but were delayed by traffic around Benin, Edo State. They later arrived in Onitsha, Anambra State, where they spent the night at Oba because of the condition of the road.

He said the buses resumed their journey at about 5am on Thursday and had barely entered Imo State when gunmen emerged from the bush, blocked the vehicles and took 19 passengers into the bush.

The drivers, according to him, escaped and alerted security personnel at a nearby checkpoint, prompting police and military operatives to commence a search for the abducted passengers.

Akpan, however, said the security response was initially hampered when some villagers allegedly prevented security personnel from moving the abandoned buses from the scene.

The Imo State Police Command had earlier announced that 10 victims were rescued following the attack.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Henry Okoye, said security agencies were continuing efforts to locate the abductors and rescue the remaining victims, although he could not confirm whether those rescued were among the abducted corps members.

Meanwhile, the development has heightened anxiety among the victims' families, with some relatives confirming that the abductors had contacted them using the phones of their loved ones.

One parent, who requested anonymity, said the kidnappers contacted her through her son's phone and demanded N50 million for his release.

Another mother, Mrs Oladosu, said her daughter, Greatness, who was travelling to Uyo, was among those abducted. She said the family briefly spoke with the victims through a video call and saw them in the bush.

The mother of another victim, Mrs Alimotu Akanke, said her son, Akande Farouq, who was posted to Abia State, managed to send a distress message to the family WhatsApp group before his telephone line went dead.

Meanwhile, friends of some of the abducted prospective corps members have launched social media campaigns seeking public assistance for their safe release.

The Oyo State Government has also condemned the incident, describing the abduction as distressing and reprehensible.

The state's Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said the government was in communication with security agencies, the Imo State Government and NYSC leadership over efforts to secure the victims' release.

He said Governor Seyi Makinde had directed that necessary resources be deployed to ensure the safe return of the abducted prospective corps members.

The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of young graduates travelling across the country for NYSC mobilisation and deployment.

A security analyst, Chidi Omeje, said criminal groups could be exploiting the predictable movement of prospective corps members during mobilisation periods.

He called for stronger security arrangements along identified kidnapping corridors.

Another security expert, Olalekan Jackson-Ojo, said the safety challenges facing corps members could undermine the national integration objective of the NYSC scheme. He suggested that graduates be allowed to serve within their states or regions instead of being deployed to high-risk locations.

An educationist, Dele Olapeju, also urged the government to strengthen protection for corps members, warning that recurring kidnappings could further erode public confidence in the scheme.

The NYSC Director of Public Relations, Caroline Embu, had not responded to enquiries concerning the latest incident as of press time.

The attack came 36 days after 15 prospective corps members were abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. They were subsequently rescued by security forces.

The recurrence of attacks involving prospective corps members has continued to raise concerns among graduates and parents over the safety of interstate travel and participation in the NYSC scheme.