Gunmen Kidnap 8 NYSC Members While Going To Camp In Sokoto – NYSC
A group of armed men, believed to be bandits, have kidnapped nine people, including eight National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, in Zamfara State.
The incident occurred on Saturday, when the NYSC members were traveling in a bus belonging to AKTC transport company from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to Sokoto State, where they were posted for their mandatory national service. Zamfara State was part of their transit route.
A source from the transport company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the bus was stopped by the gunmen along a highway in Zamfara and that the passengers were taken into the bush. He said that out of the 11 NYSC members in the bus, three managed to escape from the kidnappers. The driver of the bus was also among those abducted, he added.
He said that the transport company had reported the matter to the relevant authorities and security agencies.
One of the kidnapped NYSC members has been identified as Emmanuel Esudue, a graduate of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering from Akwa Ibom State University. His identity was revealed by a Facebook user, Malachy Blessed, who said that Mr Esudue’s phone number had been switched off since Thursday.
Another victim is Betty Udofia, whose parents have been contacted by the kidnappers and asked to pay N4 million ransom, according to a Facebook user, Edidiong Richard.
The police spokesperson in Zamfara, Yazid Abubakar, said he was aware of the incident and that he would provide more details later.
The NYSC spokesperson, Eddy Megwa, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.
