The development comes amid revelations by relatives of the victims that families paid ₦6 million for each abducted graduate to secure their freedom, despite the police maintaining that sustained security operations led to their release.
A parent of one of the survivors, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity on Friday, disclosed that the affected graduates had been given the option of selecting their preferred states in the South-West to continue their service with the current batch.
“They have been given the opportunity to choose states in the South-West to continue their service with the current batch,” the parent said.
The reported arrangement is expected to enable the graduates to resume their national service in a region they consider safer following their traumatic experience.
However, the NYSC had yet to officially confirm the reported relocation arrangement as of the time of filing this report.
The parent also disclosed that the families eventually paid ₦6 million for each victim, although they had initially withheld the information to ensure the safe release of their relatives.
“As for the ransom, we eventually paid ₦6m each, but we wanted them freed before disclosing that,” the parent said.
A relative of another survivor, identified as Joy Zainab, also confirmed that family members and well-wishers contributed financially towards the ransom.
Expressing relief over the release, she said the victim had returned home safely and thanked everyone who had offered prayers, shared information about the abduction or contributed money towards securing the graduate’s freedom.
“Alhamdulillah, he has been released and is safe with us at home,” she said, adding that the family’s appreciation extended to everyone who had supported them during the ordeal.
The accounts corroborate an earlier disclosure by Alirat Wahab, the mother of another abducted graduate, who said her family paid ₦6 million after the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50 million per captive.
Speaking in an interview with News Central Television, Wahab explained that the abductors initially insisted on receiving ₦50 million for each person in their custody.
According to her, the families appealed to the kidnappers to accept a significantly lower amount, initially offering ₦500,000, but their request was rejected.
Wahab said the kidnappers subsequently reduced their demand to ₦15 million before eventually agreeing to accept ₦6 million.
She added that relatives and well-meaning Nigerians pooled resources to meet the demand.
The mother also recounted how the kidnappers instructed the families to send representatives to Ibadan, Oyo State, where her husband and son met an intermediary as part of the arrangements.
She said the money was later transferred into a designated account, while the representatives were instructed to convert the funds into United States dollars upon arriving in Imo State.
The reported ransom payments have heightened concerns about the circumstances surrounding the graduates’ release and the financial burden imposed on their families.
How the graduates were abducted
The 20 prospective corps members were reportedly abducted on October 1, 2026, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road, near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
They were travelling in two commercial buses operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors and were reportedly heading towards Abia and Akwa Ibom states when the vehicles were intercepted by suspected kidnappers.
The abductors subsequently demanded ₦50 million for each graduate, according to accounts provided by the victims’ families.
The incident triggered anxiety among relatives, who appealed for the safe return of their loved ones while seeking assistance from authorities and members of the public.
On Wednesday, the police announced that the 20 abducted graduates had been rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
However, the families disputed the suggestion that security operations alone secured their release, insisting that ransom payments were made before the victims regained their freedom.
The conflicting accounts have raised questions about the precise circumstances of the release, although the available statements do not independently establish the full sequence of events.
One mother disclosed that the ordeal had taken a serious physical and emotional toll on her family, saying she and her daughter had been hospitalised.
“Both of us are in the hospital. We are receiving drips and treatment. My blood pressure shot up over this incident,” she said.
A survivor who spoke to Saturday PUNCH by telephone expressed gratitude for surviving the experience but declined to provide further details.
“I don’t want to remember it. I just want to give the glory to God. I thank God that I am alive,” the survivor said.
The reluctance to revisit the incident reflects the distress experienced by victims and their relatives following the abduction.
Police maintain rescue operations secured their freedom
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said on Thursday that he was unaware of any ransom payment, maintaining that sustained pressure from security operatives forced the kidnappers to release the graduates.
Similarly, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, attributed the release to joint search-and-rescue operations involving security agencies.
According to the police, the rescued graduates were taken to the Department of State Services hospital in Owerri for medical evaluation following their release.
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, also visited the victims alongside the Imo State Commissioner of Police and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade.
Efforts to obtain confirmation from the NYSC regarding the reported offer of postings to South-West states were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to its spokesperson, Caroline Embu, had not been returned as of press time.
Fresh concerns over corps members’ safety
The abduction has renewed concerns about the safety of prospective corps members travelling long distances to orientation camps across the country.
On August 26, 2026, 15 prospective corps members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja were reportedly abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Security operatives subsequently rescued them from Egume Forest.
In another incident, Abuja-based lawyer and serving corps member Eunice Ameh was abducted in Maitama, Abuja, in May. She regained her freedom after a ransom was reportedly paid.
Findings cited by Saturday PUNCH also indicated that more than 20 corps members had been killed in various attacks between 2015 and 2026, further intensifying concerns about the risks associated with the scheme.
The recurring incidents have prompted renewed calls for the Federal Government to review the NYSC programme, particularly its policy of deploying graduates outside their home states.
Debate over the future of the NYSC scheme
Established on May 22, 1973, under Decree No. 24 during the administration of General Yakubu Gowon, the NYSC was designed to promote national unity, reconciliation and integration following the Nigerian Civil War.
The scheme requires eligible graduates of tertiary institutions to undertake a period of national service, traditionally involving deployment to states other than their states of origin.
However, critics argue that the security situation has made the compulsory deployment of young graduates increasingly difficult to justify without stronger protective measures.
In June 2026, the Federal Executive Council reportedly approved a comprehensive reform package for the scheme. The measures included risk-sensitive deployment, a technology-driven call-up process and an extension of the orientation programme from three weeks to six weeks.
The reforms also proposed specialised career streams intended to align corps members’ training and assignments with their academic qualifications and professional interests.
Nevertheless, the recent abductions have raised questions about how risk-sensitive deployment will work in practice and what protections will be available to graduates travelling to orientation camps or serving in areas facing security threats.
Veronica Oloko, a former corps member, called for the scheme to be scrapped, arguing that young Nigerians should not be exposed to severe security risks in the name of national service.
She suggested that if the government decided to retain the programme, it should establish designated bus stations for corps members and provide security escorts for their journeys.
“If it won’t be scrapped, then the government should have bus stations for corps members all over the states, with soldiers stationed at the parks. At least, a few soldiers should be in each bus, with the necessary equipment to protect the corps members,” she said.
However, Oloko also acknowledged the challenges associated with relying on military protection, noting that security personnel themselves had come under attack.
She argued that the government should address the country’s broader security challenges before insisting that young graduates participate in compulsory national service.
A parent, Akeem Kareem, also supported calls for the scheme to be discontinued, citing the growing anxiety among families over the safety of their children.
He said the prevailing security concerns had made parents increasingly apprehensive about allowing their children to travel to distant parts of the country for national service.
The debate reflects a difficult policy question: how to preserve the NYSC’s founding objective of national integration while ensuring that participation does not expose young Nigerians to unacceptable risks.
For the 20 graduates abducted in Imo State, their reported opportunity to choose postings in the South-West could provide a measure of reassurance as they resume their service. However, their experience has highlighted the need for transparent communication, effective security arrangements and practical support for victims and their families.
As authorities continue to defend the NYSC’s national integration objectives, calls are growing for stronger safeguards to protect corps members before, during and after deployment.
The Federal Government and the NYSC will face continued pressure to demonstrate that reforms can translate into meaningful protection for prospective corps members travelling across the country.
Ultimately, the safety of young graduates must remain central to decisions about the future of the scheme, alongside its longstanding goal of promoting national unity.
