The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, has said he is not aware of any ransom payment made to secure the release of the 20 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and another victim abducted in the state.
Bosso made the statement during an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, October 8, 2026, while providing an update on the rescue operation.
His comments followed reports that the kidnappers had initially demanded N50 million for each victim and an account by the mother of one of the rescued corps members that her family eventually paid N6 million to secure her son’s release.
The police commissioner, however, said he could not confirm that any ransom had been paid.
According to Bosso, the victims were released after security operatives intensified their efforts and mounted sustained pressure on the abductors in their forest hideout.
He said security personnel combed the area as the operation continued, eventually forcing the kidnappers to release the victims.
Bosso said he was not aware of any ransom being paid as part of the operation, leaving the claim by the victim’s family at odds with the police command’s account.
The rescued victims were subsequently taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) office, where they received attention before being reunited with their families.
The 20 prospective corps members and another victim were abducted on October 1, 2026, while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
Following the abduction, security agencies launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation aimed at locating the victims and their captors.
According to the police account, security operatives eventually identified the suspected kidnappers’ hideout through drone surveillance.
However, access to the location reportedly became difficult after security personnel discovered that the area had been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Additional security assets were subsequently deployed as the operation intensified.
The victims were eventually released from the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area on Wednesday following the coordinated operation.
The police had earlier announced the rescue of 10 of the abducted victims while the search for the remaining corps members continued.
The latest operation resulted in the recovery of all 20 prospective corps members and the other abducted victim.
The rescued victims were reportedly taken for medical attention in Owerri before being reunited with their families.
The conflicting accounts over ransom payment remain unresolved. While the family of one victim says N6 million was paid following negotiations with the kidnappers, the Imo State Police Commissioner says he has no knowledge of any ransom being paid and maintains that security pressure led to the victims’ release.
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