Monday, May 2, 2011

Bauchi Crisis: Another Corps Member Dies

A female corps member, whose identity was not disclosed at press time, has died of injuries she sustained from the attack on her in Dombam Local Government area of Bauchi State, where she served during the general election. Her death has pushed the death toll of the corps members in the post-presidential election crisis in the state to 10.

The news of the death of the 10th victim came as the remains of the other nine corps members that were killed in the violence were being removed from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) mortuary and taken to their various states of origin for burial.

The slain corps members were evacuated by officials of the National Headquarters of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Abuja. They were led by Mr. Yakubu Jok, a deputy director of the NYSC.
The officials got to the mortuary as early as 6am and waited for the corpses of the fallen heroes to be dressed in their NYSC regalia before the nine ambulances took off.
It was a highly emotional scene that elicited tears from those who witnessed the evacuation of the corpses and carefully hauled into the ambulances.

The nine corps members who were killed in different parts of the state in the post-election violence were Adewumi Seun (Ekiti); Teidi Olawale Tosin (Kogi); Adowei Elliot (Bayelsa); Okpokiri Obinna (Abia); Gbenja Ebenezer Ayotunde (Osun); Ukeoma Ikechuwku Chibuzor (Imo); Nkwazema Anslem Chukwuonyerem (Imo); Adeniji Kehinde Jehleel (Osun); and Akonyi Ibrahim Sule (Kogi).
Seven of the corps members were killed in Giade Police Station where they had run to for safety, but the rioters overpowered the policemen on duty, killed the corps members with machetes and sticks before setting the station ablaze.

Three of the slain corps members - Elliot, Chibuzor and Sule - were Batch A members who left the orientation camp in March and were not allowed to travel to their home towns to see their loved ones for the purpose of the general election.
Meanwhile, a politician elected into the House of Representatives for Gwarzo/Kabo Federal Constituency in Kano State, Nasiru Sule Garo, has advocated the retention of the NYSC, because, according to him, the scheme remains the symbol of national unity and integration.

He said: “I will always support the retention of the NYSC and see those calling for the scraping of the NYSC as enemies of unity in the country.”

Nasiru told THISDAY in Kano Sunday, that the call for the scrapping of the one year mandatory service was out of place as the scheme had contributed immensely to the development of the country which also brings understanding among the citizenry.
Copyright ThisDay.

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