Kidnappers holding 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members in Imo State have reportedly given the victims’ parents a 24-hour deadline to pay ransom for their release.
The prospective corps members were abducted while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were reportedly travelling along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State when gunmen attacked the vehicles conveying them.
The abductors subsequently contacted some of the victims’ families and demanded ransom, giving them 24 hours to meet their demands.
The development has heightened anxiety among relatives of the prospective corps members, who are appealing to security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.
The Imo State Police Command has been working with other security agencies to track the abductors and locate their hideout.
Police authorities earlier said their operatives had made progress in the search for the victims and were determined to secure their safe release.
The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps, with calls for improved security along major routes used by NYSC participants.
Families of the abducted victims have urged the authorities to act swiftly before the ransom deadline expires.
Security agencies have continued efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
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