Eight graduates were kidnapped while on their way to Sokoto for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation program. On Tuesday, Eddy Megwa, the director of press at the NYSC headquarters, verified the event to TheCable.
According to Megwa, the abducted graduates were traveling to their designated orientation camp at night when their van was ambushed on the outskirts of Zamfara by gunmen.
According to accounts, the victims were on their way from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, to Sokoto state for their one-year national service when the event occurred.
Three of the bus’s passengers escaped, while the remaining eight were apprehended by the shooters.
Megwa stated that the NYSC director-general is in Zamfara working with security agencies to obtain their release.
“It happened on Saturday just before Gusau road in Zamfara,” the NYSC spokesperson told TheCable.
Two days ago when the director-general heard about it, he relocated to Zamfara to work with the security agencies trying to secure their release.
“He’s also in touch with the families of the prospective corps members. We’re hoping that in no time, they will be released. The issue is that we have always been against night travel. It is risky and wrong.
“Their call-up letter specifically says that they should rest and continue the next day once it gets dark during their trips. Times are bad. Even we as officers stop our trips once it’s 6 pm.
We feel so bad for what the corps members are going through. We assure the public that with the DG’s intervention, we will secure their release.”
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