Four prospective corps members and graduates of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo have been kidnapped on their way to the NYSC orientation camp.
According to reports, the victims and some of their schoolmates were traveling on a chartered bus to the NYSC orientation camps in Nasarawa and Zamfara States before they were forcefully taken away by their captors.
The PCMs, three males and a female were abducted around Funtua in Katsina State, while the driver and some other students fled for his life.
Those seized include Oladehin Olamigoke Paul, Fanokun Juwon Adewale, Ojo David Temitope and Adenibiuan Adegboyega.
They boarded a bus from Owo, Ondo State to participate in the 2020 Batch A Stream 1 orientation exercise which started on Tuesday, 10th March 2020.
While some of the occupants were able to escape and hide in the surrounding bush, the kidnapped four were not fortunate as the armed men whisked them away.
It was gathered that one of the occupants, who escaped, contacted the parents of some of the victims to notify them of the incident, also reporting the case to the police station.
It was also gathered that the kidnappers, who could only speak Hausa, have established contact with some relatives of the victims but there were hiccups because neither side had a translator.
The bus was to take them directly to the camp. Their families last heard from them around 4pm on Monday when they got to Zaria only for Tolu to call Tuesday morning that kidnappers attacked them and took four persons.
“No ransom has been demanded yet but the kidnappers have contacted some of the parents but because they were speaking Hausa, there wasn’t much communication.
Another person close to the victims, who asked not to be named, confirmed the abduction to newsmen.
She said, “They were kidnapped on Monday evening but we got the news on Tuesday and I learnt that they had been contacting their family members too for ransom.”
President of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, Olalere Benedict Adetunji, further confirmed the abduction of the students to newsmen.
He said, “We gathered that the four of them were traveling from Owo but were kidnapped in Katsina State while on their way to Zamfara State.
“We placed calls to appropriate quarters to ensure the students are release in a good condition.
“I’m sure the NYSC DG is aware of this ugly development and I learnt they have reached out to the Katsina Government too.”
The spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force, DCP Frank Mba when contacted, confirmed the incident.
He disclosed that a manhunt has begun to rescue the kidnapped corps members immediately.
“It is true that some prospective corp members were kidnapped. Four of them were kidnapped around 11:30pm.
“The command has launched a manhunt for their captors in order to ensure their safe rescue.
He said ”The command is making progress in its investigation and operation,”.
At the time of filling this report, the NYSC management is still yet to make a statement concerning the abduction.
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Please are we going to have break for easter when we are already in camp