“Whereas the president was quick to order his security chiefs at the Weekend to ensure that the remaining Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State who are still being held as hostages by terrorists in Zamfara are swiftly rescued without harm, he has maintained stoic silence and hasn’t said anything regarding the Corpers in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme to our public knowledge. These corpers were earlier kidnapped over three weeks now. Is president Tinubu not aware that for almost one month, nearly a dozen Corpers of the NYSC from Akwa Ibom headed for the Zamfara State’s Camps of NYSC were kidnapped by the terrorists operating in Zamfara State? And as soon as he the President gave that order, the hostages were rescued magically but the corpers are still being held”.
HURIWA recalled that a month ago, some suspected bandits had demanded N4 million as ransom to secure the release of one of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members abducted within the Zamfara State territory.
The bandits reportedly abducted eight members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) along a highway within Zamfara State on Friday.
The recent graduates were said to have been travelling with an Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom to Sokoto State, to take part in the mandatory National Service when their vehicle was intercepted.
Emmanuel Etteh, the father of one of the victims, Glory Thomas, confirmed the latest development to News Point Nigeria in a telephone conversation on Friday.
Etteh said that the bandits called with their number to inform him about the abduction of his daughter and asked him to pay N4 million to secure her release.
The police command in Zamfara State has yet to comment on the abduction.
However, a military source who preferred anonymity had earlier confirmed the bandits’ ransom demands to News Point Nigeria, adding that a rescue team is currently combing the forest in order to rescue the victims unhurt.
Meanwhile, the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier-General, Yushau Ahmed has suspended his routine camp tour to ensure the safe release of the prospective corps members (PCMs) who were kidnapped on their way to Sokoto state for their orientation programme.
Speaking with a reporter over the phone, Director, Press and Public Relations, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Mr Eddy Megwa said the DG was on his routine camp tour when he learnt of the incident.
Megwa assured that the NYSC and all stakeholders were doing their best to ensure that the corps members were released as soon as possible.
HURIWA said that President Bola Tinubu had at the Weekend ordered security agencies to rescue the remaining female students of the Federal University Gusau, kidnapped by terrorists on Thursday. And today, these hostages were rescued as reported by the media today.
The directive was announced in a statement made by Mr Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesman of the President.
President Tinubu also condemned the abduction.
Tinubu in the statement said there was no moral justification for such heinous crime against innocent victims whose only “offence’’ was their pursuit of quality education.
He assured the families of the abducted students that no effort would be spared in ensuring their safe return.
Tinubu pledged that the Federal Government would ensure that educational institutions remained sanctuaries of knowledge, growth, and opportunity, and totally free from the menacing acts of terrorists.
Recall that bandits stormed three female students’ hostels at Sabon Gida, where students reside outside the main campus of the university about midnight on Thursday and abducted an unknown number of students.
Many female students were kidnapped, but some escaped.
HURIWA is tasking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescue the corpers similarly because corpers are serving the nation and ought to become a high priority human assets for the President of Nigeria.
HURIWA asked that the government investigate if security chiefs are working with terrorists to prolong insecurity because of how juicy it is to fight insecurity given that security votes are like BOTTOMLESS CASHCOW.