Parents Blast Transport Firm Over Missing Next-of-Kin Info After NYSC Abduction
Parents of abducted National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have hit out at Eduak King Transport Company for allegedly withholding the next-of-kin list of passengers, as the search for their children intensifies. The firm conveyed the graduates from Ibadan to Abia State before gunmen struck in Imo State, leaving 19 young Nigerians unaccounted for.
What happened to the NYSC members in Imo State?
The prospective corps members boarded an Eduak King bus at Samonda park, Ibadan, on their way to the NYSC orientation camp in Abia State. The journey took a tragic turn when the bus was attacked around the Owerri axis of Imo State at about 7:00 am, after an overnight stop in Onitsha.
Ten passengers were rescued on the spot, but 19 graduates were dragged into the bush by the attackers. Among those abducted were graduates of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), including a set of twins.
Why are parents accusing the transport company?
Frustrated parents visited the Eduak King office at Samonda, Ibadan, hoping to get the next-of-kin list to contact other affected families. But the company reportedly refused to release the information, leaving them in the dark.
“Please, our government, please, the Inspector General of Police, the transport company Eduak King located at Samonda, please help us investigate them and put fear into them. Call them to account,” said Mrs Iyabo Akande, whose daughter Kehinde Marufat Akande is among the abducted.
Parents were even more shocked to find the company loading another vehicle while their children remained in captivity. Engineer Olawale Olaleye, another affected parent, demanded accountability: “We went to Samonda, to Eduak King. Surprisingly, they were already loading another vehicle. People are complaining, the company should be held liable.”
What is the current ransom demand?
The kidnappers have reportedly demanded a staggering N50 million per victim. Olaleye, whose daughter is among the captives, described the family's helplessness: “This morning, they are already demanding N50 million! N50 million for just one head! We don't have mouth to talk too much, but please come to our rescue.”
Mrs Rebecca Adewale, whose 26-year-old son Paul Iyanuoluwa Adewale is also missing, said the family received a brief call from him under duress. Her husband, Omotosho Emmanuel Adewale, revealed that the abductors disclosed the ransom demand before the call ended.
How are families coping with the crisis?
Some families have already transferred money to the kidnappers, hoping to keep their loved ones safe. Mrs Akande admitted the family sent N100,000 after the abductors demanded payment, and later contributed funds for food for the hostages.
Deaconess Kemi Makinde, a trader who took her child to the park at 5:00 am, summed up the collective anguish: “We are in complete agony, praying for their safe return.”
What is the government doing about the NYSC abduction?
CP Sunday Odukoya (retd.), Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, has assured families that the Oyo State Government is working with security agencies in Imo and Abia States, plus federal intelligence bodies. He urged calm, saying efforts are being intensified to locate the youths.
Parents have also appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde to intervene urgently. Mr Bafunsho Olayiwola, a psychiatric healthcare worker whose child is among the captives, pleaded: “We are imploring everybody, all well-meaning Nigerians, Governor Seyi Makinde, President Tinubu, help us rescue our children!”
The abduction has reignited concerns about the safety of young graduates on interstate journeys for national service. As families wait in agony, one question remains: when will our leaders step up and bring these children home?