Families of 10 travelers—comprising nine members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and a commercial driver—are urgently appealing to the Federal Government and security agencies for intervention following their abduction along the volatile Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan road.
The abductors have slammed a N25 million ransom on the victims, setting a strict Thursday deadline for payment.
The victims were traveling from Edo State toward Ibadan on Tuesday evening after participating in their passing-out parade following the completion of their mandatory national service.
According to an account by an escaped survivor, the bus was navigating traffic shortly after 7:00 PM when the driver suddenly veered off the main highway into an isolated bush path. Despite immediate warnings and protests from passengers urging the driver to reverse, he reportedly pressed onward.
Moments later, armed men emerged from the brush, opening fire sporadically. One passenger was reportedly shot during the ambush, while the remaining occupants—nine corps members and the driver—were marched into the forest. One corps member managed to evade capture by hiding in the bush during the chaos.
Escalating Demands and Family Agony
One of the abducted victims, Dapo, is a newly discharged corps member. His sister, Abigeal, who raised the alarm, recounted the agonizing sequence of events.
She noted that Dapo had been updating the family throughout his transit, with his last communication being a video showing heavy traffic on the route. The family later learned of the attack after the surviving corps member reached out.
First Contact: The abductors used Dapo’s mobile phone to contact the family, allowing them to hear Dapo’s voice before demanding an initial N20 million.
Increased Demand: The kidnappers called back at approximately 6:59 PM on Wednesday, hiking the ransom to N25 million and issuing a harsh ultimatum.
The Threat: When family members pleaded for mercy, the callers dismissed their appeals, warning: “Shebi na cry you wan cry, they cry, they go” before terminating the call.
Security and Government Response
Families visited the Ijebu-Ode Police Station to report the incident and recover personal belongings, including Dapo’s luggage, which was left behind in the recovered vehicle.
While police officers and local vigilantes immediately launched a combing operation in the surrounding forest following the report, families have expressed deep distress over the lack of a breakthrough as the victims spend multiple nights in captivity.
Distressed relatives are calling on the Federal Government, the Ogun and Oyo State governments, and security chiefs to scale up rescue operations before the ultimatum expires.
