Eight prospective corps members have been abducted by gunmen on their way to commence their compulsory one year national youth service in Sokoto State. The young travellers had been travelling at night to their orientation camp when these gunmen waylaid their bus on the outskirts of Zamfara state and proceeded to kidnap them as well as the bus driver. The abducted victims had been travelling on a bus owned by the Akwa Ibom Transport company(AKTC) from Uyo to Sokoto. An unidentified source from the transport company stated that 11 corps members had originally started the trip from Akwa Ibom and three managed to escape the clutches of the abductors.
Director of Press at the NYSC headquarters Eddy Megwa, said the Director-General of the NYSC is in Zamfara to work with security agencies and secure their release. He also emphasized that corps members and prospective corps members had been repeatedly warned on the dangers of night travel. In his words: “It happened on Saturday just before Gusau road in Zamfara. 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 would 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 6pm."
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