The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said efforts were underway to rescue the eight graduates abducted on their way to the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Sokoto State.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, stated this during a phone interview with newsmen on Wednesday.
Reports has it that the fresh graduates were abducted by gunmen on August 17, on a highway in Zamfara State.
The prospective corps members from Akwa Ibom State were travelling in an AKTC bus to Sokoto State for the mandatory National Youth Service Programme for Nigerian graduates.
Since their abduction, parents and relatives of the victims have been expressing concerns that the NYSC authorities and security agencies were not doing enough to secure the release of their children.
Speaking with newsmen, Macdon said the command was working with its Zamfara State counterpart to secure the release of the youths.
Macdon, who declined further details, stated that the strategies being adopted by the force would not be made public for security reasons.
“We are working with our sister command in Zamfara to see how we can get them freed,” he remarked.
Asked if there were any update so far about the abducted graduates, Macdon replied, “If there have been updates, we would have informed everybody.”
He spoke further that, “The strategies being deployed are not what we can start discussing openly.”
The PPRO assured Nigerians that something was being done to get the corps members released.
“All hands are on deck to ensure we can get them reunited with their family members. It is a regrettable situation,” he added.
Meanwhile, it was reported earlier that some parents of the kidnapped corps members had appealed to both the Federal and Akwa Ibom State governments to come to the rescue of their children.
One of the parents, Solomon Emmanuel, who spoke in Uyo on Tuesday, expressed disappointment that they were yet to see in tangible terms what the government, especially security agencies, claimed they had been doing to rescue their children.
Also, one Mrs Idongesit expressed fears over the threat by the kidnappers that if they (parents) fail to raise the N70m ransom they should not nurse any hope of seeing their children again.
