Parents of the 20 prospective corps members recently rescued from kidnappers have confirmed that the money contributed by their families to secure their release has been refunded.
The victims were abducted on October 1 when gunmen attacked two buses conveying passengers from Ibadan, Oyo State, to Anambra State along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway.
The kidnappers reportedly initially demanded ₦1 billion before reducing the ransom to ₦5 million per victim, bringing the total demand to ₦100 million.
The victims were rescued on Wednesday in Amakohia Ubi, Imo State, during a joint security operation involving the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and military personnel.
Speaking after the rescue, one of the parents, Alirat Wahab, disclosed that her family had paid ₦6 million to secure her son’s freedom.
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However, in a subsequent interview, her husband, Obasanjo, said the money contributed by the families, including the ₦6 million paid by their household, had been returned.
He explained that representatives from the affected families had gone to negotiate for the victims’ release, but he could not confirm whether the ransom was eventually paid to the kidnappers.
Alirat also confirmed that the refunds were returned to the representatives and that every affected parent had received their money back.
The circumstances surrounding the refund and whether any ransom was ultimately paid remain unclear.
The parents expressed gratitude to the Imo State Government for its role in the rescue operation.
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