Kidnappers who abducted 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members along a major highway in Imo State have reportedly contacted the victims’ families, demanding a total ransom of ₦950 million for their release.

The corps members were traveling from Ibadan, Oyo State, en route to their designated orientation camps when armed men intercepted their commercial vehicles along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.

According to details from affected relatives and transport operators, the criminal gang established contact shortly after the attack, demanding ₦50 million for each of the 19 captives. Distraught parents, many of whom are low-income earners and petty traders, expressed deep anguish over the exorbitant demands, pleading with security agencies and government authorities to intervene urgently to secure the safe release of their children.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage and security concerns across the region. While joint security tactical teams involving police officers and military personnel have initiated search-and-rescue operations in surrounding forest areas to locate the perpetrators and free the captives, the high-profile abduction highlights persistent security risks along inter-state transit corridors.

Civic groups and concerned citizens have reiterated calls for enhanced protection along highway routes heavily frequented by young graduates reporting for mandatory national service, urging law enforcement agencies to deploy technical intelligence and tactical units to safely resolve the crisis and bring the criminal syndicate to justice.