Families of prospective National Youth Service Corps members caught up in the highway abduction in Imo State have appealed for urgent intervention after their relatives were reportedly given 24 hours to raise a ransom running into hundreds of millions of naira.

The families made the appeal on Saturday when they visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his residence in Bodija, Ibadan. The meeting was also attended by Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.

The victims were among passengers travelling from Ibadan to NYSC orientation camps when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

The Imo State Police Command confirmed the attack and said NYSC members were among those abducted. Police initially reported that 10 victims had been rescued while the exact number of people taken was still being verified.

The transport company involved subsequently reported that about 20 prospective corps members were among those abducted. Families later told Punch that the kidnappers were demanding ₦50 million for each victim, which would amount to ₦1 billion if applied to 20 people.

However, other current reports have referred to 19 prospective corps members as the number still being held, placing the reported ransom demand at ₦950 million. The difference reflects the fact that the police have not publicly provided a final confirmed figure for everyone abducted.

According to the affected families, the kidnappers have contacted them through the phones of some of the abducted graduates and warned them to meet the ransom demand within 24 hours.

The families appealed to Oba Ladoja and the security agencies to do everything possible to secure the victims' safe release.

Responding to the appeal, Ladoja assured the families that efforts were ongoing to rescue the abducted graduates safely. He said the police were working to locate the victims and that information obtained during the operation would be communicated to the families.

Oyo State Police Commissioner Olugbenga Abimbola also said he had been in contact with his Imo counterpart, Commissioner Audu Garba Bosso, over the incident. According to him, the Imo police chief had assured him that security agencies were working towards rescuing the victims unharmed.

Meanwhile, security agencies have intensified their search for the remaining abducted passengers.

Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso disclosed on Saturday that security operatives had used drones to locate the suspected hideout of the kidnappers. He said, however, that officers had not immediately entered the area because intelligence indicated that the location could have been fitted with improvised explosive devices.

Bosso said security personnel were preparing to approach the location with specialised equipment as part of efforts to minimise risks during the rescue operation.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation. Two commissioners of police were also deployed as part of the wider response.

The abduction occurred as the prospective corps members travelled to begin the 2026 Batch C Stream I orientation exercise. The attack has raised fresh concerns about the safety of young Nigerians travelling long distances to report for national service.

For the affected families, the immediate priority remains the safe return of their children, while security agencies continue efforts to locate the remaining victims and apprehend those responsible.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia