The terrorist group that abducted eight Akwa Ibom State graduates on their way to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp in Sokoto State while passing through Zamfara State has now demanded an additional N200 million as ransom. This demand comes after the victims’ families had already paid N13 million earlier to secure their release.
SaharaReporters previously reported the kidnapping of these corps members on August 17, and they have endured 26 days in captivity.
A relative of one of the victims, speaking on condition of anonymity, informed Vanguard on Tuesday about the kidnappers’ new demand for N200 million to secure the release of the seven corps members and the Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus driver who are still held captive.
“They said instead, the kidnappers contacted them to demand N200 million ransom. We have paid N13 million already. Initially, we paid N5 million and later added N8 million to reach the N13 million total. Some parents sold their lands, and some even took out loans to raise this N13 million. We haven’t received any government assistance. Raising this new ransom of N200 million seems impossible. We’ve deliberately kept this news from my mother; she may not survive hearing this. We are suffering and feel helpless,” the source told Vanguard.
Another relative, close to the parents of one of the victims, expressed grave concern after learning on Monday that the health of their children was deteriorating due to the harsh conditions in their captivity.
She lamented, “In fact, all the parents and their family members have resorted to fasting and prayers. Our children in captivity have asked us to pray for them because they are very weak.
The source added, “We don’t know how we will raise such a large sum of money. It was a shock to everyone when two parents, who have been in contact with the kidnappers since the incident, revealed that even after paying the balance of N8 million (to make up the N13 million ransom negotiated), they waited for a long time for the kidnappers to release our brothers and sisters, but they haven’t.
“As I speak, I just returned from church. We are putting our faith in God to help us bring back our children. God will not fail us. The parents do not have the kind of money these people are demanding. Where would they get such an enormous sum?”
Recall that when the families paid N5 million of the initially discussed total ransom of N13 million, the kidnappers gave them until September 6 to pay the remaining N8 million. When the helpless families could not meet the deadline, the captors extended the grace period to September 9, 2023, in response to the parents’ pleas for more time to raise the outstanding N8 million.
SaharaReporters also reported that a Facebook user, who claimed to have information about the situation, revealed that in August, the terrorists contacted the family of one of the victims and demanded a ransom of N4 million.
The Facebook user wrote, “Sad to hear that young graduates going for their National Service year in Sokoto have been kidnapped by bandits. Both the Federal Government and various State governments should do everything possible to rescue the eight NYSC members. Nothing must happen to them! Some of them included Emmanuel Esudue, a graduate of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering from Akwa Ibom State University, and Victoria Udoka, a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Uyo.
“At the moment, one of the families has been contacted to pay N4 million. Please, this is a matter for the Federal government, not just the families, and it should be taken seriously to save these children from further torment by the ruthless kidnappers. This is another challenge for the federal government to review the deployment of NYSC members to nearby states where they studied due to insecurity, rather than posting them across the country. May the Almighty God rescue them, and may those wicked kidnappers be arrested and brought to justice. Their crimes must not go unpunished.”