A survivor of the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State has recounted how their captors allegedly beat them, restricted their communication with their families and fed them dry garri with dirty water while holding them in a forest.
The survivor disclosed this in an interview with BBC Pidgin, published on Monday, describing the ordeal the victims endured before their rescue on October 7, seven days after they were abducted.
According to the survivor, the kidnappers allowed them to call their families but threatened or beat anyone whose conversations displeased them. The captors allegedly used their guns and fists to assault the victims, with the men subjected to most of the physical violence.
The survivor said the abductees survived on dry garri and muddy water because they had no alternative while in captivity. The experience, the victim added, left them shocked and struggling to comprehend what had happened.
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The incident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area, when gunmen attacked two buses conveying the travellers. The kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million for each captive before the ransom demand was later reduced.
Recounting the journey, the survivor said the group departed at about 9 a.m. and made several stops before arriving in Onitsha, where the driver decided they would spend the night. The passengers had reportedly urged him to continue the journey earlier, but he said they needed to rest before proceeding.
The survivor said the group informed their families about the overnight stop and went to sleep before waking up to find themselves in captivity. They were initially held in one part of a forest before being moved deeper into an unfamiliar area.
During the search-and-rescue operation, police reportedly used drone surveillance to locate the kidnappers’ hideout but faced difficulties accessing the area because of suspected improvised explosive devices planted around the camp. Security agencies subsequently intensified the operation with additional personnel and equipment.
The victims were eventually rescued in a joint operation involving security agencies and taken for medical examinations and treatment. The survivor credited the Department of State Services (DSS) with the rescue.
The police had earlier confirmed the release of the 20 prospective corps members, while efforts to track down and arrest their abductors continued. A separate report by PUNCH also stated that the freed graduates were offered postings in the South-West.
