Some men suspected to be members of a cult on Sunday, March 18, 2018, attacked a National Youth Corpers Lodge at Angalabiri community of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, severing the hand of a Corps member.
Luntis Julius, The Corps Member, from Taraba State was machete with a cutlass on his left hand by the suspected hoodlums.
Also stolen from the Corpers’ Lodge were a Laptop and two mobile phones.
Daily Times learnt that the invasion by the criminals, which happened on Sunday at about 2.30 am caused panic among Corps members serving in the Sagbama Local Government Area.
A sympathizer who spoke with Daily Times said the recent criminal activities of a different group of cultist in the state has left many residents mostly in the Yenagoa, the state capital in fear.
He noted that shop owners are being robbed of their belongings daily in broad day light, adding that the hoodlums mostly use “Keke Napep” to rob commuters and the security agents are doing nothing to help the citizens.
He also said that it will soon result in jungle justice if the trend continues, because the people have to protect themselves from the criminals. A Corps member, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the security promised corps members in Bayelsa State is non-existent.
According to him, “Most of the Corpers’ lodges are at the mercy of armed hoodlums and thieves. Sometimes, female corps members are harassed every day.”
It would be recalled that only last Thursday during a stakeholders Workshop organized by the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, Loto Bolade, the State Coordinator, had pleaded with corps employers to put facilities in place to adequately address the issue of the security and welfare of corps members.
In her words: “Corps members are your children within the one-year they are posted to your establishment, it is your responsibility to give the corps members the best basic accommodation with adequate security, the same type you give to your children and also see that you augment their monthly allowances to enable them to serve the nation better.”
“We have heard of cases of armed robbery and other crimes in corps lodges in their host communities, most of these crimes can be traced to the nature of accommodation they are given.
This is unfortunate and I urge this forum to proffer lasting solution”, she stressed. All attempts to reach the state coordinator of NYSC in the state proved abortive as she never picked her call till the time of filling in the report.
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