The Benue State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Veronica Garba, has confirmed that corps members previously stationed in areas affected by recent unrest have been successfully relocated to designated safe accommodations within Makurdi.
In a statement given to the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area, Mrs. Garba explained that upon receiving reports of the crisis, NYSC management promptly coordinated with the Nigeria Police Force. Officers were deployed to evacuate corps members from the Yelewata and Daudu regions.
“We do not take the safety of our corps members lightly; we consider them as our own children,” Mrs. Garba stated. “Immediately we were informed of the crisis, we contacted the Commissioner of Police, who dispatched personnel to facilitate the evacuation.”
The affected corps members were temporarily housed at their respective NYSC-affiliated family houses, including the offices of the Nigeria Corpers Christian Fellowship, the National Association of Catholic Corps Members, and the Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria.
Following the evacuation, a headcount was conducted, and it was confirmed that no corps member was unaccounted for. Arrangements were made with the leadership of each family house to provide shelter in Makurdi, pending an improvement in security conditions in the affected areas.
The Benue State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Veronica Garba, further sought to reassure parents and guardians of corps members, emphasizing that the current security situation in the state is expected to improve, particularly following the recent deployment of senior security officials to the region.
“I am confident that the parents of our corps members are aware that all security chiefs have been relocated to Benue State; there is therefore no cause for alarm,” Mrs. Garba stated. “Above all, we place our trust in God, who remains the ultimate protector and is present with your children wherever they may be.”
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited Makurdi on Wednesday, where he engaged with key stakeholders and instructed national security agencies to ensure the protection of lives and property in the affected communities. The President also mandated the immediate apprehension and prosecution of individuals suspected to be responsible for the recent attacks, which have resulted in significant loss of life.#newsafro_
