Gunmen who abducted 19 graduates travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps have reportedly demanded a ₦950 million ransom for their release, throwing families into panic.
CDA News Nigeria reports, that the victims were travelling in two buses when gunmen attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, on Thursday.
The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, confirmed the incident to the newspaper on Friday. He said the buses belonged to his company, and that the occupants were corps members heading to the Abia and Akwa Ibom orientation camps. He added that the abductors demanded ₦50 million for each victim, which, for 19 people, comes to the ₦950 million figure.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the abduction had earlier drawn a public appeal from a distressed mother in Ibadan, who begged President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police to rescue her daughter and other prospective corps members.
The ransom demand has deepened the anxiety of relatives, many of whom are said to be struggling to cope with the uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones.
The ransom figure has not been independently confirmed by the police, the NYSC or the Imo State Government. CDA News Nigeria could not verify the demand at the time of filing, and there was no official statement on the status of rescue efforts.
Families and the public have called on the authorities to act swiftly and ensure the safe return of the young graduates.
CDA News Nigeria will update this story as more information emerges.
All rights reserved ©2026 CDA News Nigeria. Contact: info@cdanews.ng, www.cdanews.ng, +2348030980314 | 348 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
