'We pay ransom in dollars to free our children' - Parents of kidnapped prospective corps members tell BBC

One of di parents of di 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members wey jaguda pipo bin kidnap but later release for Imo State, southeast Nigeria, tell BBC say di kidnappers collect ransom payment in U.S. dollars, bifor dem release dia children.

Di parents, wey no want make we identify claim say, no security agency dey responsible for di release of di kidnapped victims.

Payment of ransom to kidnappers dey illegal for Nigeria.

Remember say di Nigeria police announce di rescue of di 20 NYSC members-to-be plus one oda victim, and dem tok say na afta one ogbonge "search-and-rescue operations".

But di parent wey follow BBC News Yoruba tok maintain say: "No single pesin dey responsible for securing di release of our children. Di parents, togeda wit pipo online and even friends, contribute money so dat each parent go fit pay di amount wey di kidnappers bin demand."

Di parent also tok say di Department of State Services (DSS) also make efforts to rescue di kidnapped victims, and dem invite di parents to come help wit di investigation.

E add say, di DSS dey fully aware of how di parents bin change money into U.S. dollars through one aboki wey dey change money bifor dem deliver di money to di kidnappers.

Na big money o. Di money no small o, di parent tell our tori pesin, but e refuse to tok exactly how much di money be.

Di victims bin don spend almost one week for di kidnappers hand bifor dem regain dia freedom.

One parent wey also speak to one local tori pesin on video interview tok say, for her own child, na six million dem pay for her own son afta negotiating wit di kidnappers, but she add say no be di same amount evri parent pay for dia own children.

My child no dey do again

Di parent also tok say her pikin no dey do di NYSC again if dem insist say she must continue for di state wia dem bin first post her go.

If dem go redeploy her to Oyo State or Ogun State to complete di service year, den she go continue, di parent tok.

Earlier on Wednesday, di Nigeria Police Force bin publish one statement wey announce di rescue of di kidnapped victims and dem claim credit for am.

Di police claim say dem rescue di NYSC members for one rural community wey di name na Amakohia Ubi village for Imo State.

"Efforts dey go on to apprehend dose responsible for di abduction, as di Police and oda security agencies dey sustain coordinated operations towards bringing all culpable pesins to justice," di statement by di police tok-tok pesin, Ani Iniedu, tok.

Oga Iniedu say di police, military plus oda security agencies carry out intelligence-led searches of forests and suspected hideouts, but e no mention if any ransom exchange hand or if dem make any arrests.

Di Govnor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, also thank di police and security personnel for wetin e describe as dia "quick intervention" and dia "collaboration and patriotism" to rescue di 20 corps members-to-be alive and witout any harm.

Similarly, di palace of di Olubadan, di traditional ruler of Ibadan, Oyo State, wey be di place wia dis would-be NYSC members bin travel from, also release statement to confirm dia release.

Na on October 1, as Nigeria dey mark di 66th Independence Day celebration of di kontri, na im di tori break say jaguda pipo don attack two buses wey carry some new graduates we dey go do dia one-year mandatory national service, and pack plenty of dem enta bush.

Di incident hapun for one community, Umunoha, close to Owerri, di Imo State capital, and hours afta di attack, di police say dem rescue 10 of di kidnaped victims.

Later, di Police Commissioner for Imo State, Audu Bosso, tok say dem don locate di area wia di kidnappers dey wit di vitims, but dem no fit enta dia bicos di criminals use explosives to surround di place.

Bosso tok say di police dey restrategise and dem go deploy caterpillers and heavyduty vehicles to enta di area and rescue di victims.

Den tori for local media start to dey circulate as parents of di kidnapped victims tell tori pipo say di kidnappers don contact dem, and dem dey demand di sum of 50 million naira as ransom for each of dem.

Following di announcement of di rescue by di police on Wednesday, many Nigerians wey replied to di post for di police X handle, express doubt weda na di police true-true rescue di victims.

"You rescued dem all witout apprehending perpetrators? Ah !" Emmanuel posted.

Anoda X user wit di username @Skynet_006 write say: "None of di kidnappers was killed, non apprehended, but somehow, you rescue 20 pipo from armed men. Di way you pipo tink say we dey stupid ehn, e dey burst my head."

Di group of young pipo bin dey participate for di National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), one compulsory one-year community service programme for most Nigerian university graduates, wia dem dey post young graduates go different parts of di kontri.

Di group bin dey travel inside two buses on one major highway from Ibadan for south-west Oyo state to NYSC orientation camps for Abia and Akwa Ibom states wen gunmen attack dia buses.

Di incident don raise concerns again ova insecurity and kidnapping along roads for di south-east.

Kidnapping for ransom na major security problem for Nigeria, wey involve criminal gangs and armed groups. Authorities neva release any information about di identity of di attackers.

Govment too don ban ransoms to kidnappers as attempt to remove di incentive for di gangs, but e no dey too work.