Fifteen members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from Akwa Ibom State have been kidnapped in Zamfara State by Fulani bandits en route to Sokoto State.
It was gathered that the bandits, on Thursday August 17, 2023, intercepted a bus filled with NYSC members and kidnapped all the passengers.
So far, none of the governments, the NYSC administration, or security agencies, have issued a statement or acknowledged the incident.
According to a source, “the parents and families are left completely shattered in anguish and sorrow.
“Their loved ones are going through torture in the hands of those heartless Fulani Bandits in captivity.”
The source disclosed that the bandits are demanding a ransom of 4 million Naira for each corper, elsewhile, they will never be seen by their families again.
It was learnt that the ransom was reduced from 10 million naira to 4 million Naira each.
“They are 15 corpers whose families are languishing in pains right now, because of the deadline the bandits gave.
“The government has left them to their fates, and they are now negotiating with the bandits individually.
“What a wicked country where the government doesn’t place any value on human lives outside their own, their families, and those in power and authority like them,” the source lamented.
Among those kidnapped are Uyoobong Victor Udofia, and Emmanuel Esuduea graduate of University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Another victim whose identity was revealed was Sabana Anyaewe Ikan, a graduate of Heritage Polytechnic Eket.
She is amongst those kidnapped NYSC prospective corp members in Zamfara state, who were traveling with AKTC bus from Akwa Ibom State to Sokoto state.
“Of what use is the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), that would warrant parents to suffer and labour in training their wards in the university for years, only for them to die or be rendered (incapacitated) useless because they want to serve their father’s Land.
“If the Nigerian government cannot provide adequate security for prospective and serving corpers, why not scrap the useless NYSC scheme.
“Or better still allow them serve in the state where they had their tertiary education without dying or being kidnapped, or their respective states of origin.
“You can’t be using young productive youths with bright future for your annual rituals and blood sacrifices, in the name of NYSC,” lamented the source.
