Parents of kidnapped A’Ibom NYSC members pay N30.8m ransom, victims still in captivity

Parents and relatives of prospective corps members from Akwa Ibom State who were abducted on August 17, 2023, while traveling to their orientation camp in Sokoto State, are currently paralysed with fear.

This is as the kidnappers demand that they pay N10 million each as ransom for the victims’ release.

One of the victim’s family member, Mr. Mfon Friday, who spoke to Vanguard, on Wednesday, in Uyo said so far, a total sum of N30.8 million ransom has been paid to the abductors.

Friday, who spoke angrily about the unimaginable suffering the parents were currently going through due to the kidnapping, recalled that the parents had paid N13.6 million at first and then another N17.2 million at the end of October, but the children had not been released.

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He lamented: “As we speak, our children are still in Zamfara bush, including the driver of AKTC and it is over 100 days when they were kidnapped. When they called on Monday, the kidnappers said parents should pay another N70 million.

“Remember the first ransom the parents paid was over N13 million and it was paid collectively. But this time, they want the parents to pay N10 million each. Before end of October, N17 million was paid, making it about N30.8 million so far paid, yet they didn’t free those children.

“They only released one of the girls. And Monday this week, when they contacted us, they demanded N10 million from each family. How are we going to raise that kind of money? Those people failed to understand that those children are not from rich families.

“They even threatened to leave those children to die if the parents don’t pay the ransom very soon. I am very, very angry. Why can’t our government, the federal and state governments, do something to save the lives of those young graduates? In fact, when the parents heard that all the children were sick, you needed to see how they were crying, especially the mothers.

“They are not children of Policemen, the Army and politicians that is why they have been allowed to remain in kidnappers den till today? We are praying that nothing happens to them. And I am using this platform to appeal for urgent help from every well meaning citizens of this country, so that these children will not die in the kidnappers den.”

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