The Kidnap of Corpers
09.28.2010

The scourge of kidnapping ravaging the country was taken to a ridiculous height recently when five female members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Rivers State were abducted by kidnappers.


The corps members who are serving in a community secondary school, in Omuma Local Government Area of the State, were abducted from the residential lodge provided for them by the school, at about Eleven a.m. Their generator was also carried along.


That the use of kidnap, as a means of protesting the poor living conditions of the people of the Niger Delta, has since been abused is certainly not in doubt. But that corpers, defenceless corpers, on national service can now be kidnapped is a bizarre twist to the scourge.


The Niger Delta militants, on the onset, had resorted to kidnapping expatriate oil workers as a means of drumming home their demand for improved livelihood in the region. That was in 2006. The strategy was soon corrupted when criminals latched on to it and began to kidnap innocent people, especially rich and influential persons, for a ransom, thus commercialising the crime.


Now the kidnap of hapless and poor youth corpers who can barely feed themselves from their meagre allowance is to overstretch the barbarity of the criminal minds. If It is worrisome that kidnapping is yet taking place after the amnesty has not only be granted about a year ago, but that the rehabilitative programme for ex-militants participating in the post amnesty scheme is going on successfully in the country.


It is more worrisome that in spite of the growing national concern about the crime and several promises, security agencies have not been able to prevent such incidents.


For young graduates, who out of compulsion, had left their states of origin to offer service to communities, which may be the communities of their abductors, to be “compensated” in this way is inhuman. We therefore condemn in all ramifications, the ugly incident and urge the abductors to ensure that the ladies are not harmed in any way and they are released without further delay.


Indeed, we are worried that the nasty experiences of corpers across the country may fuel calls for the scrapping of the scheme, if gradually, corpers are now becoming endangered species. In the recent past, corpers have been victims of sectarian violence (as it happened in Jos, Plateau State), have been raped and killed as it happened in Maiduguri, Borno State or they are victims of kidnap as in the latest case in Rivers State.


We urge the Nigeria Police to, as they have often done, swing into quick action to rescue the corpers from their abductors, unhurt. The Rivers State government and the NYSC authorities should all join hands and give requisite assistance to the police to free the ladies.


And if by today they have been released a re-occurance should be prevented.Given the several risks corpers now face in the service of their fatherland, we believe is high time the NYSC management considered providing some form of insurance cover for them. Although this will not stop attacks on corpers by criminally minded people, we are convinced that it will give the corpers a sense of security and embolden them to face the growing challenges of the scheme.


All said, we believe that, although criminality cannot be excused, the high rate of unemployment in the country contributes greatly to the crime rate in the country, including kidnapping. It is for this reason too that we urge various tiers of government to, expeditiously design policies and programmes that can provide employment opportunities to the teeming youths wasting away in the labour market.

they should remenber Odi

I'm so worried. Those girls might be raped

Nigeria is always taking the wrong turn.

I trust my ND peeps. They don't want to be outdone by those Aba miscreants

This incident happened before the children of ABA but its related as the area shares boundary with ABIA state. In this case it was 6 corpers that were kidnapped but 1 of them a guy was mysteriously released. The police however says he should not speak to the press and the NYSC authorities too have been keeping mum.

otokx:

This incident happened before the children of ABA but its related as the area shares boundary with ABIA state. In this case it was 6 corpers that were kidnapped but 1 of them a guy was mysteriously released. The police however says he should not speak to the press and the NYSC authorities too have been keeping mum.

wetin that one suppose mean?

police don't want investigation to be jeopardized and the NYSC authorities do not want any negative media attention

this is too bad. youth corpers and defenceless people shudnt be made targets of violent acts.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered security agencies in the country to find the 15 nursery and primary pupils kidnapped on Monday in Aba, Abia State.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has ordered all corps members serving in the state to withdraw from their places of primary assignment to the orientation camp in Umuahia, if they feel threatened by any attack.

Five corps members kidnapped in neighbouring, Rivers State weeks ago have not been heard of since. Five journalists were also kidnapped in the state in July and released a week after.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5624514-146/jonathan_orders_security_agencies_to_find.csp



I weep for this country!

GEJ should also order the security agencies to find the corpers and alive!