Parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members kidnapped while travelling from Oyo State to their orientation camps have raised the alarm after the abductors reportedly gave them 24 hours to pay a N1 billion ransom for their release.

The parents disclosed this on Saturday when they visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, alongside the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.

The PUNCH reports that the 20 graduates were travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps on Thursday when gunmen attacked the two buses conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.

The abductors reportedly demanded N50 million for each victim, bringing the total ransom demand to N1 billion.

The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, had confirmed the ransom demand to The PUNCH on Friday.

Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande said the abductors had been contacting them using the mobile phones of the kidnapped prospective corps members.

“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand for N50 million ransom each. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed their request.

“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children,” the parents appealed.

The parents urged Ladoja and the police commissioner to intervene and secure the immediate release of their children.

Responding, Ladoja assured the parents that efforts were underway to rescue the victims unharmed.

“I want to assure you that your children will be rescued unharmed. We will relate whatever information we gather to you. The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself; the police are up to the task, and nothing will happen to your children,” he said.

Also speaking, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, said he had contacted his counterpart in Imo State over the incident.

“I had already contacted the Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of the incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” he said.

The police commissioner did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid or provide details of the ongoing rescue operation.

The latest development came as security agencies intensified efforts to rescue the abducted prospective corps members.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, said on Saturday that security operatives had located the suspected camp where the remaining victims were being held using drones.

However, he said the rescue operation had been delayed because intelligence indicated that the camp had been planted with improvised explosive devices.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation.