Freed NYSC Members Offered South-West Posting After Kidnap Ordeal

The 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were abducted in Imo State have reportedly been given the option of choosing any of the six South-West states for their national service following their release from captivity.

A parent of one of the rescued graduates disclosed that the victims had been allowed to select their preferred states to continue their service with the current NYSC batch, according to a report by Naija News on Saturday.

The arrangement is expected to enable the affected graduates to complete their national service closer to home and avoid travelling to areas they may consider unsafe following their traumatic experience.

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, while travelling in two commercial buses operated by Uko Akwa Ibom Motors.

The victims were reportedly travelling to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen attacked the buses. The abductors initially demanded ₦50 million for each captive.

They regained their freedom on October 7 following a security operation at Amakohia-Ubi in the Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State. The victims were subsequently taken for medical evaluation before reuniting with their families.

However, the circumstances surrounding their release have generated controversy, with some parents claiming that they paid ransom to secure their children’s freedom.

One of the parents reportedly disclosed that the families paid ₦6 million for each graduate, while other accounts indicated that relatives and well-wishers contributed towards the payments.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Bosso, maintained that he was not aware of any ransom payment, attributing the release to sustained pressure from security operatives.

The police have also said that coordinated operations were continuing to track down and arrest those responsible for the abduction.

The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of young graduates travelling across the country for the mandatory one-year national service, with renewed calls for stronger security arrangements and reforms to protect prospective corps members.

As of the time of reporting, the NYSC had not publicly confirmed the reported South-West posting option.