*** We paid N6m each in dollars to secure release of 20 victims – Mother

*** As Security agencies lay claim to rescue of kidnapped victims

By Udoka Immaculate

There are conflicting reports both from emanating from parests of the victims of NYSC members who were kidnapped in Imo State and from from.the security agencies, who who made possible for the release of the corps members from the hands of the abductors in Imo state, with one of the parents of 20 corps members claiming that they paid about N120 million in total ransom to secure their release, the mother of one of the victims has disclosed.

Recall the prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 after gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway.

They were freed seven days after they were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Umunoha, Imo State.

Though the details of the rescue operation were unavailable at the initial time but the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, confirmed the release of the corps members in a statement on Wednesday, with security sources claiming that hostages were reportedly rescued by a joint team of the Nigeria Police Force, Army, Department of State Services and other security agencies.

But one of the parents of the victims, who is based in Ibadan, Oyo State, said her family paid N6 million in dollar equivalent to the abductors for the release of her son, one of the graduates travelling to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

She made the disclosure in an interview with News Central TV, saying the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each of the 20 victims before reducing the amount to N6 million per person.

According to her, the abductors first established contact with the families and allowed the victims to speak with their relatives as proof that they were still alive.

“The terrorists first demanded N50 million. They gave the abductees phone to confirm that they were alive. We now asked if the money is for all of them, they said no. The money is for each of them,” she said.

“It was later they agreed for us to pay N6 million and that was what we paid. We paid N6 million,” she said.

According to her, the abductors first established contact with the families and allowed the victims to speak with their relatives as proof that they were still alive.

“The terrorists first demanded N50 million. They gave the abductees phone to confirm that they were alive. We now asked if the money is for all of them, they said no. The money is for each of them,” she said

The mother said the families initially offered N500,000 but the kidnappers rejected the amount and threatened to kill the victims.

“It was later they agreed for us to pay N6 million and that was what we paid. We paid N6 million,” she said.

She said the affected parents in Ibadan subsequently met to work out arrangements for raising the ransom and transporting it to Imo State.

“We called a meeting of the parents of the victims in Ibadan. And we agreed to pay the money into our account and convert it to dollars when taking it to Imo. And that was what we did,” she said.

The woman said the families later received confirmation that the abducted graduates had regained their freedom.

She added that her son’s brother was part of the team that travelled to Imo State to negotiate with the abductors alongside relatives of other victims.

“It is true that they have released them. We saw the video. His brother was among the people who were in the negotiating team. His brother confirmed the ransom payment and he went there with the parents of other victims,” she said.

Describing the ordeal as deeply traumatic, the mother said the abduction had affected her physically and emotionally.

“I have not been myself since the abduction. I cannot sleep and I have been purging. I am not sad because of the money; I am sad because of my child. No money can’t buy a child,” she said.

The victims were reportedly travelling in two buses when gunmen intercepted them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The incident triggered widespread concern among the victims’ families, particularly after the kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million for each victim, amounting to N1 billion, and gave the families 24 hours to raise the money.

In the aftermath, the parents sought intervention from traditional and security authorities. They visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, in Ibadan, alongside the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.

The parents said they could not raise the N1 billion demanded and appealed for help to secure the safe return of their children.

The kidnappers were subsequently reported to have lowered the ransom demand to about N5 million per victim.

Relatives also alleged that some of the victims, including female abductees, were subjected to physical assault while the families were being pressured to pay.

The Imo State Police Command later announced that security operatives had identified the suspected location where the victims were being held through drone surveillance.

Police, however, said the rescue operation had been delayed after intelligence reports indicated that improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had been planted around the area.

According to the police, bulldozers, armoured personnel carriers and other operational equipment were being deployed to gain access to the location and facilitate a safe rescue operation.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to coordinate the search-and-rescue efforts in Imo State.

Although authorities confirmed the release of the victims, details of how they were freed, including whether any ransom was paid, had not been publicly disclosed.

The account provided by the victim’s mother therefore offers details of the negotiations between the families and the abductors, including the alleged payment of ransom in dollars.

The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps and the financial and emotional pressure kidnapping places on victims’ families.

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By Our Reporter with agency report

South African authorities have extradited six Nigerian men to the United States following allegations that they defrauded more than 100 American women through online romance schemes.

The suspects, who were arrested in South Africa in 2021, are also alleged to have links with the Black Axe organised criminal network.

The South African Police Service disclosed the development in a post on X on Friday, saying its Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as the Hawks, worked with INTERPOL South Africa to facilitate the extradition.

“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the #Hawks, in collaboration with #INTERPOL South Africa, will today facilitate the extradition of six Nigerian nationals to the United States of America,” SAPS said.

The police said the suspects were wanted in the US in connection with allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.

According to SAPS, the men were accused of “allegedly defrauding them of more than R100 million through online romance/love scams.”

The Hawks said the suspects were transferred to United States authorities at Cape Town International Airport on Friday.

Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service took custody of the suspects following their handover, according to the authorities.

Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, was quoted by Eye Witness News as saying the extradition process involved moving the suspects from a correctional facility in Cape Town to the airport for their transfer to the American agencies.

“Through the coordination of INTERPOL South Africa, the six will today be transported from a correctional facility in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport, where they will be handed over to officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.”

Mogale said the development underscored the growing collaboration among law enforcement agencies in different countries to tackle organised criminal activities that cross national borders.

“This extradition demonstrates the continued cooperation between South African law enforcement agencies and international law enforcement partners in disrupting transnational organised crime and ensuring that suspects wanted in other jurisdictions face due legal process,” he said.

By Our Reporter

The Kano State Hisbah Board has apprehended 22 people suspected of attempting to organise an unauthorised event in the state.

The suspects comprise 12 men and 10 women, according to the Deputy Commander-General of the board, Dr. Mujahedeen Aminudeen.

Aminudeen disclosed the development while briefing journalists at his office in Kano on Saturday.

He said preliminary findings from the investigation suggested that a majority of those arrested were allegedly involved in drug abuse.

According to him, some of the male suspects were allegedly effeminate, while the women were suspected to be sex workers.

The Hisbah official said investigations were still in progress, adding that those found culpable would be arraigned before a court with appropriate jurisdiction.

Aminudeen cautioned individuals intending to visit Kano for illegal activities or practices considered immoral to stay away from such conduct.

He said officers of the board remained prepared to apprehend and prosecute anyone found violating the law.

The deputy commander-general also appealed to parents to pay greater attention to the upbringing of their children, stressing the importance of instilling good character in them for a better future.