I gathered last night that the five female NYSC members kidnapped in Rivers State a few weeks ago were released yesterday following the invasion of the camp of the kidnappers by security agents.

I heard on the radio this morning that other captives were found at the camp and released.

I am however angered by the deliberate effort of the NYSC to blackout news on the NYSC members.

I noticed that right from the time the news broke, NYSC has been trying to manage information about the case.

When GEJ issued an ultimatum for the 15 Aba kids to be found by the police, nothing was said about the NYSC members. The Aba 15 were eventually released a day to the Independence Day celebrations while the NYSC members remained in captivity and nothing was said about them.


Now they have ben released, all the newspaper websites I have checked this morning (PUNCH, GUARDIAN, VANGUARD, BUSINESSDAY, THISDAY) have blacked the new out.

Is the intention of the NYSC to protect national interest?

I think the NYSC has outlived its usefulness and we should stop sacrificing the lives of our young ones.

Remember those who died in the Jos crisis?
Remember the young lady who was molested and killed by some people yet to be convicted for the crime?
How about countless others who have died as a result of road accidents and other mishaps?

NYSC officials must be congratulating themselves for a job well done in managing the news about the kidnapped five but have they acted in the national interest, really?

This is good news if its true. Just hope those girls weren't used as sex slaves and intimacy gadgets through the period

Kidnapping: NYSC to redeploy five female corps members

By Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt
Friday, 8 Oct 2010

INDICATIONS emerged on Thursday that the four female corps members who regained their freedom on Wednesday after 20 days in the hands of kidnappers, would be redeployed to their states of origin.



The corps members were abducted on September 16, 2010.



Rivers State Co-ordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, Mrs. Esther Chimele-Nwogbo told THE PUNCH in a telephone interview, on Thursday, that the decision to redeploy the four corps members was to enable them overcome the trauma they went through in the hands of their abductors.



Chimele-Nwogbo explained that the affected corps members had been in the bush for about three weeks and deserved to go back to their various states and put the ugly incident behind them.



“They (corps members) will be reposted to their states and this is to enable them to overcome the trauma of being kidnapped and kept away from everybody for a long time,” the NYSC state coordinator stressed.



She expressed happiness over the release of the NYSC members even as she thanked security operatives for their efforts so far in the matter.



Chimele-Nwogbo, however, refused to comment on whether the corps members would receive any form of compensation as a result of the trauma they went true in captivity.



A source told our correspondent that the corps members had been taken to Abuja on the orders of NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga for medical attention.



The four, according to the source, will later travel from Abuja to their various states to continue their one year mandatory national youth service programme.



Our correspondent , on Thursday, observed the presence of many corps members at the NYSC state secretariat, located along Ikwerre Road in Port Harcourt, discussing the release of their colleagues.



One of them, who preferred anonymity, said he was happy that the four female corps members finally regained their freedom.


“We were seriously disturbed when we heard about the kidnapping of the corps members. We prayed for them and we thank God that they have been released,” he said.




Source: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201010082561240