The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has raised the alarm over alleged ransom demands of up to ₦50 million per victim following the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling to their orientation camps.

The incident occurred along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, where two buses conveying prospective corps members and other passengers were attacked by suspected armed men.

The Imo State Police Command said 10 victims were rescued and the two buses recovered, while efforts continued to establish the exact number of abducted persons.

In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Adeyemo Josiah, General Secretary, Ojetola Babatunde, and Public Relations Officer, Olugbemi Timothy, NANS Southwest Zone D said graduates from institutions including the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, and Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, were among those affected.

The students’ body said it had received reports and seen fundraising appeals indicating that as much as ₦50 million could be demanded for each victim, but urged security agencies and NYSC authorities to verify the claims and establish direct communication with the affected families.

NANS called for the immediate implementation of the risk-sensitive deployment framework approved by the Federal Executive Council in June 2026 as part of reforms to the NYSC scheme.

It also demanded a review of compulsory long-distance interstate postings, proposing state-based or zonal service options, particularly in areas where security conditions make interstate travel difficult.

The association further called for organised and secured transportation for prospective corps members, including accredited transport operators, designated travel corridors, vehicle-tracking systems and closer coordination between NYSC officials and security agencies during mobilisation periods.

NANS urged the Federal Government, Ministry of Youth Development, NYSC management and security agencies to intensify search-and-rescue operations until all abducted persons are safely recovered.

The association also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently, saying the government must ensure the safe recovery of the victims and take measures to prevent a recurrence.

It said the incident had heightened anxiety among students, graduates and affected families, while stressing that the security realities confronting Nigerian graduates had changed considerably since the NYSC scheme was established in 1973.

“National service must never become national endangerment,” NANS said.