http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/two-youth-corpers-murdered-in-cold-blood-while-on-national-service/90142/

By Simon Kolawole

Ukeoma Ikechukwu, on his facebook page, made a recommendation to his friends. He urged them to watch the video: “A Soldier's Silent Night”. In his words, it is a “very heart-wrenching video everyone should see”. It is the touching story of an American soldier observing Christmas in a lonely world far away from friends and family—in the service of his fatherland. Well, Ikechukwu is dead. He was murdered in cold blood by rioters who said they were protesting against the results of last Saturday’s presidential election. Ikechukwu was wasted in far-away Bauchi: lonely, terrified, kilometres away from friends and family—in the service of his fatherland as a youth corps member. It is a heart-wrenching story everyone should hear.

His last phone calls were described as coming from “someone in distress”. His last post on his facebook wall was on Sunday, April 17, a day after the election, at 6:48am, via mobile web. He wrote (unedited): "Na wao! This CPC supporters would hv (have) killed me yesterday, no see threat oooo. Even after forcing underaged voters on me they wanted me to give them the remaining ballot paper to thumb print. Thank God for the police and am happy i could stand for God and my nation. To all corps members who stood despite these threats esp. In the north bravo! Nigeria! Our change has come."
He was reported missing that day by friends and finally confirmed dead Friday, with thousands of tributes flowing across the social network sites.

He was not alone. Six other youth corps members were confirmed killed in Bauchi, where the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, polled 1,315,209 votes (or 81.69 per cent), defeating President Goodluck Jonathan (of the Peoples Democratic Party) who scored 258,404 votes and did not even hit the 25 per cent mark. The corps members were reportedly chased to a police station where they sought refuge. But the rioters, who were said to be chanting “Sai Buhari”, overran the station and killed the young Nigerians.

The story of Obinna Okpokiri is as heart-wrenching as Ikechukwu’s. The 27-year-old was butchered and burnt to ashes—in the service of his fatherland. Okpokiri’s own circumstances were as gruesome as they could be. He had reportedly run to the Corpers’ Lodge as the rampaging rioters targeted the youth corps members who were the polling officers recruited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the general election. As death loomed, the young Nigerians contemplated fleeing to the barracks, the only sanctuary in times of mob insanity. But they were not lucky enough. The rioters caught up with them, beat them up, slaughtered the ones they could and set them on fire. Human beings. Future leaders on the last lap of fulfilling statutory requirement before starting their careers. Slaughtered. Sliced. Soaked in petrol. Scorched. Reduced to ashes in the most callous fashion.
Okpokiri could have been in the United Kingdom savouring life some other way and living in the safety of a society that would go to any length to protect its citizens. He chose to return to his fatherland after acquiring a post-graduate degree in the UK. He chose to do the mandatory national youth service. He chose to obey the posting to Bauchi State, as against the mass hysteria of changing posting.

And, as it were, he chose to die.
The story of Ikechukwu and Okpokiri, mowed down in their infancies, is re-igniting calls for the scrapping of the NYSC—a body created in 1976 ironically to foster national unity. The corps members always appear to be the primary targets in ethno-religious riots in some parts of the country. There is now an online petition being mobilised to ask for the withdrawal of youth corps members from violent states, while some are calling for the outright scrapping of the scheme in the interest of safety and protection of the lives of the young graduates.

According to his profile, Ikechukwu worked at His Grace Network Limited as a manager, and studied at the University of Nigeria Nsukka between 2006 and 2010. He did his secondary school at National High School, Aba, from 1997 to 2003. His favourite quote, according to him, was: “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost but when character is lost, all is lost.” His choice of music was “anything inspiring” and his favourite book was the Bible.
He seemed to have a strong religious bent, listing among his interests Dr. Tunde Bakare whom he called “Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God”. (Ironically, Bakare is Buhari’s running mate.) He also listed House on The Rock (his church, it has turned out), Pastor Sunday Adelaja, The Experience Lagos (a yearly Christian music festival), Myles Munroe, and Pastor Bimbo Odukoya among his “interests”.

An anonymous writer wrote on Okpokiri in a blog Friday: "Let's all give a moment of silence and think about the senseless loss of Obinna Okpokiri, 27 years of age, Estate Management graduate, Abia State University, butchered and burnt in Bauchi state. Can he be brought back? No, never, not ever! , I did not know Obinna directly but we had mutual friends here in London. Until recently Obinna was here in the UK, at his family expense, to pick up a post graduate qualification. Obi, as I will call him for the rest of this write up, like every young man had dreams and hopes and one of such was to go back and complete the mandatory NYSC. As a result he packed his bags, paid his way back to Nigeria to serve his fatherland in Bauchi where he was posted to do his National Youth Service.”
For Ikechukwu and Okpokiri, it is silent night. It is a heart-wrenching story.

^^^

If that account is true, that is really really bad of those almanjiris. they need to be punished and brought to book

May their soul RIP

NYSC should either be scrapped or reorganised so you serve in your home state. This young man's death should not be in vain. How can states which barely produce secondary school leavers benefit from the blood and sweat of others ?

edicolove:

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/two-youth-corpers-murdered-in-cold-blood-while-on-national-service/90142/
He was not alone. Six other youth corps members were confirmed killed in Bauchi, where the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, polled 1,315,209 votes (or 81.69 per cent), defeating President Goodluck Jonathan (of the Peoples Democratic Party) who scored 258,404 votes and did not even hit the 25 per cent mark. The corps members were reportedly chased to a police station where they sought refuge. But the rioters, who were said to be chanting “Sai Buhari”, overran the station and killed the young Nigerians.

How could a mob brandishing sticks and machetes overrun a police station?

Heads should roll for this. The top sheriff od the state and the ASP of the division should be questioned. This is very unfortunate.

edoyad:

NYSC should either be scrapped or reorganised so you serve in your home state. This young man's death should not be in vain. How can states which barely produce secondary school leavers benefit from the blood and sweat of others ?

You dont treat a headache by cutting off the head. We need to talk and find solutions to this problems,
NYSC is a very good Scheme. We just need better security throughout the country.

People die in the SW/SE too.

People die in Sw/SE but i havent heard that corpers were killed in riots down here. It is almost impossible.

^^^^

That is because you see what you want to see.
WHen Igbo cult students come to the SW to kill Yoruba student activists, did you hear Yorubas shouting and calling for the head of all Ndigbos?

Anuofia

I want nysc scrapped, but for very selfish reasons. It should probably be retained but just improved and made more secure.

The contractor of the uniform and kits will fight scrapping of that juicy contract every year.Takes 250k to kit one coper.

@zstranger

please please please with all due respect, stop commenting on these issues. you obviously have no clue. there is nothing like Ibo cult members killing yoruba activists. please please please. I attended UNIBEN and was a member of student's union so i have first hand knowledge. as bad as cultism is in Naija, it is hardly tribal. All the cults have members from all tribes. please dont say things you know nothing about. NYSC should be scraped. it is a project that will not succeed as long as we have the kind of mentality prevalent in the north

edicolove:

@zstranger

please please please with all due respect, stop commenting on these issues. you obviously have no clue. there is nothing like Ibo cult members killing yoruba activists. please please please. I attended UNIBEN and was a member of student's union so i have first hand knowledge. as bad as cultism is in Naija, it is hardly tribal. All the cults have members from all tribes. please dont say things you know nothing about. NYSC should be scraped. it is a project that will not succeed as long as we have the kind of mentality prevalent in the north

And do you know who I be? You are a mo/ro/n.
There are more Ibos in cult than any other tribe in Nigeria. And yes, some of the cult members of the July 10 1999 OAU cult attack were Ibos. As much as we hate you guys for your double-standards, hardly would you hear of Yoruba people castigating the whole of Ndigbo for the actions of their few wayward sons.

So before removing the speck in someone else's eyes, take time for yourself and remove the log in yours.

Ediot. "Cultism in Naija is hardly tribal" Oh yes, it is. And who told you that the killings here were tribal?  BiafraTV?

Some people do not for their selfish interest want the unity of this country-Nigeria. Please the Moderators of this forum should ban 'edicolove' the originator of this false alarm for actions unbecoming of a patriotic Nigerian and immediately change the title of this thread before it appear on the Home Page to:
"About 2 Corps Members Died In Active Service On National Service ". Thank you.

Some people do not for their selfish interest want the unity of this country-Nigeria. Please the Moderators of this forum should ban 'edicolove' the originator of this false alarm for actions unbecoming of a patriotic Nigerian and immediately change the title of this thread before it appear on the Home Page to:
"About 2 Corps Members Died In Active Service On National Service ". Thank you.

There is no point taking you seriously as it is apparent Buhari supporters are just like him. inhuman and bloodthirsty. It is shameful you couldnt even see this was a Thisday front page news piece. The news is right now out there on the news stands all over the country. You cannot bury the truth however you try. if you think you can cover up this gruesome murder and genocide, you are mistaken. enough is enough. if you want the unity of this country, you will not be slaughtering corpers like rams while shouting "Sai Buhari". For every one that was killed with the shout of "sai Buhari", their blood will be on his head.

zstranger:

^^^^

That is because you see what you want to see.
WHen Igbo cult students come to the SW to kill Yoruba student activists, did you hear Yorubas shouting and calling for the head of all Ndigbos?

Anuofia

it's neither u re a f.o.o.l or u are enjoying the dastard killing of corpers in the north.i supported buhari initially but thank God i didn't vote for him.he left a promising career in the uk to serve n educate ur lepers n beggers in north and his reward was death by the sword by ur dirty uncircumcised almajiris likewise others that were raped and killed in cold blood, stfu in u have nothing positive to contribute on this forum.

zstranger:

How could a mob brandishing sticks and machetes overrun a police station?

Heads should roll for this. The top sheriff of the state and the ASP of the division should be questioned. This is very unfortunate.

When they call out Nigerians, someone like you will answer.

I wonder why you're still on this forum, you don't know anything about Nigeria and you do not contribute anything meaningful but hate.

Quote from: zstranger on Today at 06:53:56 AM
How could a mob brandishing sticks and machetes overrun a police station?

Heads should roll for this. The top sheriff of the state and the ASP of the division should be questioned. This is very unfortunate.

@Obiagu1

When they call out Nigerians, someone like you will answer.

I wonder why you're still on this forum, you don't know anything about Nigeria and you do not contribute anything meaningful but hate.

my brother no vex. i apologise for the guy. he grew up in an orphanage somewhere in new york and was told he is from Nigeria so he started googleing around about Nigeria. unfortunately, most of what he got were comments from different boards like NL, that was where he formed his opinions from. so forgive his stupidity. He probably even thinks we have mayors. lol

^^^

Dont we have Mayors?

Dont we have Mayors?

LMAO. abeg chairman, come back home, we go join hand buy you ticket. lol

i think seun is a tribalistic fellow since he cant stop people like zstranger from carrying on with tribal abuses just because they belong to same tribe with him,it seems it is only the downfall of nairaland that can clear that tribal log which blocks seuns eyes,meanwhile i am seriously looking for a new forum to join cause i am tired of reading all these tribal abuse from people who claim to be nigerians but its obvious some people only know nigeria from their atlas.

someone on this site is talking about a sheriff in nigeria?i think some of these people should just stay with a european or american forum depending on where they are based.

hey,  u can leave us. cos the room is shoked,

the story is one in a million true life tale i have ever read.
so touching that i cant imagine.

but, we dont need to quarrel in this forum. Cultism was something else and it was a school stuff. not this type. people that came to serve all in the name of being a graduate. and for the sake of INEC and all of us.

Guys, lets mind our language. cos seems the government is planning of scrappin the scheme.
an advice hia is that, some people talk out of experience and out of experience some don't

chuks2612:

i think seun is a tribalistic fellow since he cant stop people like zstranger from carrying on with tribal abuses just because they belong to same tribe with him,it seems it is only the downfall of nairaland that can clear that tribal log which blocks seuns eyes,meanwhile i am seriously looking for a new forum to join cause i am tired of reading all these tribal abuse from people who claim to be nigerians but its obvious some people only know nigeria from their atlas.

[b]someone on this site is talking about a sheriff in nigeria?[/b]i think some of these people should just stay with a european or american forum depending on where they are based.

Shattap, I was talking about the Mayor of Lagos County, thats all.

this guy or lady,there is nothing like county in nigeria

zstranger is really a stranger to Naija but the painful part is that instead of listening and learning he keeps spouting crap like he knows the country well. It is one thing to be a fool, it is another thing entirely, and a disaster at that, to be a proud fool

^^^

You are a big fool. It is people like that keep voting OBJ as Prime Minister of Nigeria,

Instead of voting out that mallam, you keep returning him to Dodan Barracks as Prime Minister.

You are a big fool.

A reeeetarded doffus