Tag: NYSC member

Ogundare Lawrence Opeyemi, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has slumped and died in Bayelsa State.

Ogundare, it was gathered, died in Nembe, Nembe Local Government Area, where he was posted for his primary assignment.

It was learnt that the deceased corps member slumped a day after he had a party with his colleagues in the area.

“A day after the party, he complained of a health-related issue and before we knew what was happening he slumped and died,” a source who spoke in confidence said.

The incident caused panic among corps members, who raised the alarm over incessant death of their colleagues in the state.

His remains were later conveyed to and deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa.

Corps members cried uncontrollably on Friday when kinsmen of the deceased came to convey the remains to his home state, Ekiti for burial.

Hundreds of corps members trooped to the mortuary section of the hospital in solidarity with their departed colleague.

Officials of the NYSC in the state were led by the corps’ state Coordinator Anthony Ekeocha.

 

Fresh facts emerged yesterday that the slain member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Bayelsa State,  James Onuh, was killed for allegedly refusing to surrender his mobile phone.

Suspected cultists at the weekend killed Onuh at Obele, a suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital.

The hoodlums reportedly fled the area after sporadic gunshots that caused panic among the residents.

The late Onuh, a graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture in Markurdi, the Benue State capital, was attached to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Works for his primary assignment.

A friend of the late Onuh, who identified himself simply as Daniel, said the deceased was a “Batch B” corps member who was expecting his passing out in September.

Giving insight into the circumstances that led to Onuh’s death, Daniel said his friend boarded a commercial tricycle to Obele.

He said the corps member did not know that the other occupants were cultists prowling the roads to rob people.

Daniel said: “When he got to Obele junction, where he wanted to alight, they confronted him, asking him to hand over his mobile handset. He resisted them. Maybe he didn’t know they were armed.  As they were dragging the phone, one of them pulled out a gun and shot him.”

He said the hoodlums took the handset and fled, adding that Onuh was rushed to the hospital, where he died

 

He lamented that Onuh who hailed from Benue State was the only son of his parents.

Investigations revealed that the gruesome murder of Onuh shocked many corps members in the state and was a dominant topic of discussion among them.

There has been increased in violent crime among the youths in the state following economic hardship blamed partly on the inability of the state government to pay arrears of salaries owed different categories of workers.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Asinim Butswat, said the police were following a lead to arrest the killers of Onuh.

He said the police were committed to the security of corps members and appealed to them to go about their normal business without fear.

 

•Victim’s relatives demand justice

The Department of State Securities (DSS) in Rivers State has  arrested five persons in connection with the kidnapping and murder of  a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)   Sampson Worlu, in December last year, after collecting  N1 million ransom.

In the DSS custody are Chijioke Wisdom Ndubisi, Chinedu Alozie Wilfred, Jumbo Igwe Chikezie and Peace Gift Aluruchi-Amadi (female) all of whom are said to be the victim’s relations/neighbours at Ogboghoro community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

Worlu, a lawyer, was kidnapped on December 12, 2015, while in transit to Imo State where he was serving.

He put a call through to his family that he had been kidnapped and that his abductors wanted a ransom of N5million.

After much negotiation, a ransom of N1m was paid by the family only for the suspects to kill him.

Soon after his murder, the suspects reportedly relocated from the state.

The suspects admitted their involvement in the crime in separate interviews although they claimed that the person who actually killed Worlu is still on the run.

Ndubuisi said: “I was the person that led the kidnap, but I was not the one that killed him. The main person that killed him is not here with us, we are many in the gang.”

The victim’s elder brother, Charles Worlu, called for justice in the matter, saying: “the deceased was my younger brother. He was called to the Bar last October and posted to Imo State for the mandatory one year service (Youths Service).

“He reported at the orientation camp in February but suddenly took ill while in camp and was sent home for treatment. After his treatment, he left home on December 12, to join his other colleagues. A day after, December 13, we received a call from him that he had been kidnapped on his way back.

“We requested to talk to his captors. They confirmed that they kidnapped him and demanded for N5 million ransom; that they needed money and nothing else.

“It was at that point we began to negotiate with them. Though we did not arrive at any compromise on December 15, we were able to raise N500,000. We called them and informed them about it and that that was the much we could raise.

“They accepted and told us where to go within Port Harcourt to drop the money and the time also (12 noon). We complied and they called to confirmed receiving the cash and then asked us to go to a certain place at (Rumukwurusi area of Obio/Akpor LGA), to pick our brother.

“We got to the place by 1pm same day, we waited till 6pm to no avail. We called them back to know the next line of action but their lines were no longer going through. At that point we left the place.

“After then we did not hear from them again until Saturday, December 19, and they said that the money we paid was part payment, and that it was for their feeding, and that we should make a further payment of N500,000.

“Meanwhile they had already killed my brother and still continued to demand for more money. Because we did not know, we struggled again to raise another N500,000. We called and informed them.

“They now directed that we go and drop it at Ihie junction in Abia State at a certain time. Initially they said we should go and drop it at a certain junction at Obigbo. When we got there and called them, they said it was no longer there but that we should proceed to Ihie junction at Aba, Abia State.

“It was there we finally went and drop the cash. They then called to say they had received it and that we should go back to that junction at Obigbo that we would see Sampson there.

“We got there in the evening, and waited till 4am the following day, we still did not see anybody. We left and went to make formal report to the security agencies especially the State Department of Security Services (DSS) who immediately mobilized and went into action and only God knows how they were able to track these people.

“They have confessed to the crime and said they decided to kill him despite the money because he knew them very well and would report them if he was left alive.

“So they had to kill him and bury him in a shallow grave they have shown to the DSS. The corpse is yet to be exhumed.”

He lauded the DSS for fishing out the suspects.

The Nation learnt that the suspects may be charged to court tomorrow.