Parents of the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted while travelling to their orientation camps in Imo State have expressed relief following confirmation of their release.
However, the families said their joy remained incomplete as they were yet to speak directly with their children, who were reportedly still in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
One of the affected parents and spokesperson for the families, Alhaja Alimot Akande, confirmed the development in an interview on Wednesday.
She said the release had brought significant relief to parents who had spent days in fear and uncertainty over the safety of their children.
“We are happy that they have been released. This is what every parent has been waiting and praying for,” Akande said.
She, however, expressed concern that the families had yet to establish direct contact with the prospective corps members.
“What we have heard is that they are still with the DSS. So, we are waiting for the authorities to allow us to have contact with them and, most importantly, to reunite them with their families,” she said.
Akande disclosed that the affected families had also faced significant financial pressure following ransom demands allegedly made by the abductors.
According to her, each family had to make separate arrangements to secure the release of their children, as no government provided financial assistance.
“No government gave us anything to support the families towards the release of our children. We had to do what we could as individual families,” she said.
She described the psychological impact of the abduction as enormous, saying parents endured sleepless nights and constant anxiety while waiting for news about their children.
Akande appealed to the authorities to provide the released prospective corps members with medical and psychological care before they are reunited with their families.
“They need medical attention, psychological support and every necessary assistance because they have gone through a traumatic experience,” she said.
She also urged the government to strengthen security arrangements for prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps, stressing that young Nigerians should not be exposed to such dangers while reporting for national service.
One of the affected fathers, 53-year-old Femi Adewale, said the confirmation of the release had brought immense relief to his family.
“We are very happy and relieved that our children have been released. It has been a very difficult period for us as parents,” he said.
Similarly, 51-year-old Sade Oyeyemi, whose only daughter, Kemisola, was among those abducted, said she was grateful that her daughter was alive.
She said the family’s immediate priority was to see Kemisola, hear her voice and confirm that she was safe.
Another parent, 55-year-old Janet Oladosu, also expressed gratitude, saying the development had ended days of fear and sleepless nights.
The release was also confirmed by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who reportedly received the information from Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, during a telephone conversation at about 5pm on Wednesday.
According to a statement by the Olubadan’s media aide, Adeola Oloko, Uzodinma personally conveyed the confirmation of the prospective corps members’ release to the monarch.
The affected families, however, said their immediate priority remained the safe return of their children and direct confirmation of their physical and emotional wellbeing following the ordeal.