In response to the recent kidnapping of corps members, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) said on Tuesday that it had warned participants in the program not to travel at night.
This was said in an interview with Channels TV by the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa.
Gistlover recall that on August 19 in Zamfara State, eight corps members were kidnapped from a highway.
In order to complete their required national service, the corps members traveled from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to Sokoto State before continuing on to Zamfara State.
Megwa claimed that if the corps members had heeded the advice to avoid traveling after 6 p.m., they might not have been kidnapped.
The NYSC management, according to Megwa, is working to ensure the safe release of the kidnapped corps members, though.
He said, “Let’s not look at the NYSC as if we are living in a different world. NYSC is part of Nigerian society. You and I know the kind of security situation we have in the country, it is not selective, some students are kidnapped at a point, and government officials, even young children at primary and nursery schools are kidnapped.
“So NYSC or corps members are not living in a different world, but we have made it categorically clear. We told our corps members please don’t travel in the night. In their call-up letters, we stated this clearly. We said please anywhere you are, once it is 6 pm cut short your trip.
“Find a park, police station, military barracks, corps lodge or anywhere you think is safe. Park and continue your journey tomorrow.
“Now this issue in question, they got to that point around 8 pm and that Funtua road is very deadly. In fact, all passengers the moment they get to that place by 6 pm they parked but this driver continued with his trip.
“Perchance they did not travel at night, perchance they slept at a safe place at 6 p.m., all these issues we are talking about wouldn’t have happened. However, it has happened and it is our responsibility and the responsibility of Nigerians to get ensure we get them back safe and good.
“There are security measures we put in place to make sure that such issues will not happen. When you go to our orientation camps, we have our security modalities that are put in place to ensure security bridges does not occur while in orientation camps.
“NYSC is very proactive, even before the commencement of the orientation camps we made publications in traditional media, we told them specifically please do not travel at night, the management has done everything that they need to do.”
