Freed after a week, but who paid? Imo police deny ransom
Twenty young Nigerians on their way to national service were abducted on 1 October and released a week later. Parents say they paid. The police say they know of no payment.
Owerri — The police in Nigeria's Imo State say they are not aware of any ransom being paid for 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps who were abducted and held for a week, Premium Times reports. Some of their parents say otherwise.
The group was seized at about 6.30am on 1 October on the Owerri-Onitsha road, near Umunoha. They were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. They were released on 8 October.
Two accounts
Asked whether a ransom had been paid, the state commissioner of police, Audu Bosso, said: "To my knowledge, no."
"I am not aware whether a ransom was paid or not," he said. "We did what we were supposed to do as professionals, and that was how we got them."
Parents told the newspaper they had paid the kidnappers. They put the sums at between ₦5 million and ₦6 million. One family said it paid ₦6 million, converted into dollars.
No arrests
No suspect has been arrested. Bosso said operations were continuing, with officers "combing the bushes to make sure that the perpetrators are arrested".
This report is based on reporting by Premium Times, published by AllAfrica.
