The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has decried the worsening insecurity in Nigeria following the abduction of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
The graduates were reportedly travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps on Thursday when gunmen attacked the two buses carrying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
Parents of the abductees disclosed on Saturday, October 3, that the abductors had given them 24 hours to pay a ₦1 billion ransom for their release.
Reacting to the abduction on Sunday, Obi described it as yet another distressing indication of the worsening insecurity in the country.
“These young Nigerians were preparing to serve their nation, but they were unable to travel safely on our roads. Families are increasingly burdened by the fear that their loved ones could fall victim to kidnapping,” he lamented.
Obi stated that protecting lives and property is the government’s foremost responsibility, stressing that Nigeria cannot continue to regard insecurity as an ordinary occurrence or act only after people’s lives have been disrupted.
The former Anambra State governor called for the immediate and safe rescue of all the abducted corps members and the arrest of those responsible.
He added that Nigeria must become a country where young people can travel, work, and serve their nation without fear.
