Some serving National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members who were whisked away by kidnappers in Rivers State days ago have regained their freedom.
OsunDaily News understands that the corps members were abducted last week while going to Port Harcourt from the NYSC orientation camp in Ondo State.
A family member of one of the kidnapped victims had reported to a popular radio station in Port Harcourt that 12 NYSC members were abducted by armed men last Tuesday along the Rumuji axis of the East-West Road, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers state.
However, five of the corps members reportedly escaped in a rather courageous manner during the abduction.
The Rivers State Police Command had confirmed the incident but could not ascertain the number of passengers on the bus conveying the youths on national service.
In the latest development, however, a source who reportedly spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt today claimed that his sister-in-law was among those kidnapped.
The PUNCH quoted the source as saying that the remaining abducted seven corps members have now regained their freedom. The man said they were freed at about 9 pm on Sunday evening around Choba in Obio/Akpor local government area after a ransom was paid.
“They were released on Sunday evening around 9. I saw seven of them that there released, two girls and five boys.
“According to one of the parents that came there that day, said they paid a ransom. They were in horrible condition. It was like they used mud to rob them and if you see their body, maybe they were bitten by mosquitoes or sand-fly in the bush.
“They went to report themselves at the police station where it happened, and they took their statement and tried to see if they could get their belongings,” the source reportedly said.
Earlier, the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, told journalists that the Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, had ordered more deployment in a view to rescuing the corps members and expressed optimism that the police were on top of the situation.
“I have just contacted the Rumuji Police Division. The corpers have been released. The command will make an official statement on that on Thursday,” said the state police image maker while confirming the release of the corps members but could not confirm if any ransom was paid.
