Abductors have released some serving National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, members who were kidnapped in Rivers State some days ago.
The corps members were whisked away by their abductors last week on their way to Port Harcourt from the NYSC orientation camp in Ondo State.
A relative to one of the abductees had apprised a radio station in Port Harcourt about the incident, noting that the victims were abducted last Tuesday along the Rumuji axis of the East-West Road, Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers state.
But sources revealed that five of the corps members reportedly escaped from the hands of the Kidnappers after summoning courage while others were whisked away.
While confirming the incident, the Rivers State Police Command stressed that number of passengers on the bus conveying the youths on national service are yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, a source who reportedly addressed newsmen in Port Harcourt ok Wednesday confirmed that his sister-in-law was one of the victims.
Quoting the source, the PUNCH said the remaining abducted seven corps members have now been released. 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, informed reporters that the Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, had ordered an intensive search exercise in order to rescue the corps members.
“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.
