The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members recently released by suspected kidnappers in Imo State have reportedly been offered the opportunity to continue their national service in any of the six South-West states.
The development comes amid growing concerns over the safety of Nigerian graduates travelling long distances to orientation camps and the circumstances surrounding the victims’ release.
According to a report by Saturday PUNCH on Saturday, October 10, 2026, a parent of one of the survivors disclosed that the graduates had been given the option to select their preferred states within the South-West for the current service 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.
However, the NYSC had not officially confirmed the reported arrangement as of the time of publication.
Families of the freed graduates have disclosed that they paid ₦6m for each captive, contradicting the police account that security operations forced the kidnappers to release their victims.
One of the parents told Saturday PUNCH that the families initially kept the ransom payments confidential because their immediate priority was securing the safe return of their children.
RELATED NEWS:
- Mother Reveals She Paid N6m Ransom to Secure Release of Abducted NYSC Member
- NYSC Kidnap: Abductors Slash Ransom to N100m as Families Raise Alarm Over Brutal
- Troops Rescue Eight Prospective NYSC Members Abducted Along Imo Highway Treatment
A relative of another survivor, identified as Joy Zainab, also confirmed that family members and well-wishers contributed financially towards the ransom.
She expressed gratitude to those who prayed for the victims, shared their stories and provided financial assistance during the ordeal.
The revelations corroborate an earlier account by Alirat Wahab, the mother of another victim, who said the kidnappers initially demanded ₦50m per person before reducing the amount and eventually accepting ₦6m for each captive.
According to Wahab, the families pleaded with the kidnappers to accept a lower amount, but their initial offers were rejected.
She said the abductors eventually agreed to the reduced payment after negotiations and appeals from relatives.
Wahab further disclosed that the kidnappers instructed family representatives to travel to Ibadan, Oyo State, to meet an intermediary. The money was subsequently transferred into a designated account, while the representatives were directed to convert the funds into US dollars after arriving in Imo State.
The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1, 2026, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
They were travelling in two commercial buses operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors and were reportedly heading to Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The kidnappers subsequently demanded ₦50m for each captive, placing enormous financial and emotional pressure on the victims’ families.
On Wednesday, October 7, the police announced that the graduates had been rescued at Amakohia Ubi Village in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.
However, the families disputed the police account, insisting that ransom payments were made before the victims regained their freedom.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, said he was unaware of any ransom payment and maintained that sustained security pressure forced the abductors to release the victims.
Similarly, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, attributed their release to joint search-and-rescue operations involving security agencies.
Following their release, the graduates were taken to the Department of State Services hospital in Owerri for medical evaluation.
NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, subsequently visited the survivors alongside the Imo State Commissioner of Police and the Commander of the 34 Artillery Brigade.
The kidnapping has left some relatives struggling with the physical and emotional effects of the ordeal.
The mother of another survivor disclosed that she and her daughter had been hospitalised following the incident.
She said the stress associated with the abduction caused her blood pressure to rise, leaving her in need of medical treatment.
One of the freed graduates, speaking by telephone, expressed gratitude for surviving the experience but declined to provide further details.
The incident has renewed public concern over the risks faced by young Nigerians travelling to participate in the national service programme.
The latest abduction has intensified debate over the relevance and safety of the NYSC scheme, which was established in 1973 to promote national unity, reconciliation and integration following the Nigerian Civil War.
Under the programme, eligible graduates are deployed to states other than their states of origin, a policy designed to encourage interaction among Nigerians from different ethnic, cultural and geographical backgrounds.
However, repeated attacks on prospective and serving corps members have prompted calls for a review of the deployment system.
According to Saturday PUNCH, 15 prospective corps members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja were abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Kogi State on August 26, 2026. They were subsequently rescued by security operatives from Egume Forest.
In another incident, Abuja-based lawyer and serving corps member Eunice Ameh was abducted in Maitama, Abuja, in May and later regained her freedom after a ransom was paid.
The newspaper also reported that more than 20 corps members had been killed in various attacks between 2015 and 2026.
In June 2026, the Federal Executive Council approved a package of NYSC reforms, including 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 introduced specialised career streams intended to align corps members’ training and assignments with their qualifications and career interests.
Nevertheless, questions remain over how effectively the safety measures will protect graduates travelling long distances to orientation camps or serving in areas affected by insecurity.
A former corps member, Veronica Oloko, called for the scheme to be scrapped, arguing that young graduates should not be exposed to life-threatening security risks.
She suggested that, if the programme must continue, the government should establish designated bus stations for corps members across the states and deploy security personnel to protect them during their journeys.
However, she also acknowledged that security personnel themselves face attacks, arguing that the government must address the wider insecurity crisis.
Another parent, Akeem Kareem, supported calls for the programme to be discontinued, citing the fear experienced by families amid recurring reports of kidnappings and other attacks.
The latest incident has therefore renewed pressure on the Federal Government and the NYSC management to strengthen travel security, review deployment procedures and ensure that national service does not expose young graduates to avoidable danger.
For the families of the 20 freed graduates, their safe return has brought relief after days of uncertainty. But the conflicting accounts surrounding the rescue and the reported ransom payments have left questions about the circumstances of their release, while the wider debate over the safety of national service continues.
