NYSC Kidnap: Families lament Oyo govt’s silence; ‘We’re on top of situation’ – Ministry
By Adeola Badru
Families of would-be National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have expressed anguish and frustration over what they described as the failure of the Oyo State government to directly reach out to them and reassure them of efforts to secure their children’s safe return.
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The affected families said they had been left to grapple with fear, uncertainty and emotional trauma following the abduction of the prospective corps members. Some parents alleged that no representative of the state government had contacted them to provide information or offer reassurances since the incident.
The development has heightened anxiety among the families, particularly as they continue to await the safe return of their loved ones amid reports that the abductors are demanding ransom.
‘This hurts as a father’
One of the affected parents, Mr Femi Adewale, 53, a public servant and father of Feyisayo, one of the abducted prospective corps members, said the uncertainty surrounding his daughter’s whereabouts had left the family devastated.
Adewale, in an interview with Vanguard on Tuesday, said the family had been living in fear, particularly because they had not received direct communication from the state government, explaining what was being done to secure the release of the abducted corps members.
He said: “As a father, this is extremely painful. You send your child out believing that she is going to serve her country and build her future. Only for her to be kidnapped on the way.
“Since this happened, every telephone call puts us on edge because we do not know what news we are going to hear.
“What we expect from the government is reassurance. We want to know that the government is doing everything within its power to bring our children back safely. We should not be left to face this kind of situation alone.”
Adewale appealed to the authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted corps members, saying the families were already under enormous emotional pressure.
He added: “These are young Nigerians who have gone out to serve their country. They are not criminals. They are our children. The government must do everything possible to ensure that they come back alive and safely to their families.”
‘What my daughter told me’ – Mrs Oyeyemi
Similarly, Mrs Sade Oyeyemi, 51, whose only daughter, Kemisola, was among those abducted, said her family had been thrown into deep anguish after hearing the condition of her daughter during a conversation permitted by the kidnappers.
Oyeyemi said her daughter, who was allegedly subjected to severe torture and sustained injuries, was only allowed to speak with the family briefly, during which she told them that the abductors were becoming increasingly impatient over the ransom.
According to the distraught mother, her daughter warned that the situation could become fatal if the kidnappers’ demands were not met.
She said while crying, “Kemisola is my only daughter. Imagine what it means for a mother to hear her only child crying and telling you that she is being tortured and injured. There is no mother who can hear that and remain calm.
“When she was allowed to speak with us, we could hear the pain in her voice. She told us that they were not joking with the ransom, and that they could kill them if their patience was exhausted.
“Since then, I have not been myself. I am constantly afraid that something terrible could happen to my daughter.”
Oyeyemi appealed to the government and security agencies to intervene urgently, stressing that the families were not asking for anything beyond the safe return of their children.
“We are appealing to the government to help us. These children have parents who love them and families waiting for them. We cannot afford to lose them. Whatever needs to be done to bring them back alive should be done urgently.
“I am a mother and this is my only daughter. I cannot imagine my life without her. We need the government to talk to us, tell us what is happening and assure us that everything possible is being done to rescue our children.”
Oyo govt reacts
Reacting to the assertion, the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Dotun Oyelade, said the state government was not indifferent to the plight of the affected families, insisting that the Ministry of Education was handling the situation.
Oyelade, responding to questions on the allegation that the government had not reached out to the affected families, said: “To the best of my knowledge, the Ministry of Education is on top of the situation.”
According to him, efforts were being made to establish contact with the families, adding that he was aware that government officials had sought their addresses and contacted relevant local government authorities to assist in locating them.
“The commissioner told me they are reaching out to them. I knew when they were searching for their address and asking some local governments to help track them,“ he said.
Oyelade, however, acknowledged that he was aware of reports that representatives had visited the Olubadan, while stressing that the Ministry of Education was taking steps to address the situation.
“We only heard that they went to the Olubadan, but not to the state government. I know that the Ministry of Education is doing something about it,” he said.
Vanguard News
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