The corps members kidnapped in Ondo State last Thursday have revealed that their families each paid N1 million to secure their release. The five victims, consisting of four corps members and one artisan, were taken by bandits at around 11 pm at Omi Alafa Village in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area. The kidnappers dragged them into the forest, where they endured a harrowing four days.
The corps members had been returning home after completing their three-week National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation camp in Enugu and Abia States. During the ambush, the driver of their vehicle and one front-seat passenger were shot dead by the attackers.
One of the released corps members, Patience Andrew, recounted their ordeal, explaining how the bandits initially demanded N30 million per person but later settled for N1 million each after intense negotiations. Andrew described their experience as “horrible and hellish,” noting that they were beaten and given garri with dirty water once a day.
“We boarded a bus from Abia State to Onitsha,” Andrew said. “But our driver was not fast enough. We switched to another bus heading to Akure around 5 pm, but by 10 pm in Ondo State, we were attacked. The driver was shot twice, and the woman next to him was killed.”
Andrew continued, “They took us into the bush where we walked from 10 pm until 7 am. The kidnappers, around 25 years old, spoke Hausa/Fulani with an interpreter. They tortured us and fed us poorly. Initially, they demanded N30 million each but reduced it to N1 million after negotiation.”
The ransom demands included three packs of Hollandia yogurt, two loaves of bread, one carton of Peak milk, one pack of malt, bottles of Fearless drink, one pack of cigarettes, 10 packs of cooked rice and chicken, and N1 million per person, totaling N5 million.
Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, stated that the victims were abandoned by their captors after police pressure. “The command on 22nd July found the victims of the Ose/Ifon area kidnap from 18th July, 2024,” she said. “The victims were abandoned after continuous combing of the bush by policemen led by ACP Olufemi Awoyale.”
