Triumphant Release: Abducted NYSC Corps Members Regain Freedom In Rivers State

• Seven NYSC members who were kidnapped while traveling from the NYSC orientation camp in Ondo to Port Harcourt, have been released after spending one week in captivity.

• They were abducted by armed men along the Rumuji axis of the East-West Road in Emuoha Local Government Area.

• The exact number of passengers on the bus and the details of the ransom remain undisclosed.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that seven members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were abducted while traveling from the NYSC orientation camp in Ondo State to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have been set free after being held captive for one week.

According to a family member of one of the kidnapped corps members who reported the incident to a popular radio station in Port Harcourt, a group of armed men abducted 12 NYSC members along the Rumuji axis of the East-West Road in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.

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During the incident, five of the corps members managed to escape in a courageous manner.

While the Rivers State Police confirmed the abduction, they were unable to provide the exact number of passengers on the bus carrying the youth on national service.

However, a man in Port Harcourt, claiming that his sister-in-law was among the kidnapped individuals, informed the press that the remaining seven corps members have been released.

The man stated that they regained their freedom around 9 pm on Sunday in the Choba area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area after a ransom was paid.

“They were released on Sunday evening around 9. I saw seven of them who were released, two girls and five boys,” he said.

According to the man, one of the parents mentioned that a ransom was paid. The released corps members were in a terrible condition, with signs of mosquito or sand-fly bites on their bodies, possibly from the bush where they were held.

“They went to the police station where it happened to report themselves. They gave their statements and tried to recover their belongings,” he added.

SP Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the state police command, stated during a telephone interview that the Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, had ordered additional deployment of personnel to rescue the kidnapped corps members. She expressed confidence that the police were effectively handling the situation.

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When contacted, the state police image maker confirmed the release of the corps members but stated that she was unaware of any ransom being paid. She mentioned that an official statement would be released by the command on Thursday.

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