Post-election violence: State govts evacuate corps members from troubled spots

By Kenneth Ehigiator, Kolade Larewaju, Chidi Nkwopara, Jimoh Babatunde, Emmanuel Ebeleke and Daniel Etegbe
In what appears to be ademonstration of being their brothers’ keepers, state governments in the Southern part of the country have been responding to distress calls from members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, from their various states who are serving in the north and were trapped in the violent protests that greeted the announcement of the results of the last presidential election.

LAGOS

In Lagos, the State government commenced evacuation of its youth corpers from Kano and Jigawa whose parents and guidance are resident in the state.

See photos of evacuated corps members here

The 84 corps members who constitute the first and second batches of the evacuation, arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Sunday aboard Arik Air flight from Kano, and were received by the state’s Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr. Tunde Balogun,

General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Osanyitolu, told Vanguard yesterday that the state government was targeting to evacuate no fewer than 350 corps members from the troubled areas.

The corps members, who lamented the ordeal they were put through in their states of deployment, said the intervention of the governor save them from being slaughtered by the anarchists.

They also expressed their appreciation to the military who provided a safe haven for them in Kano, pending their evacuation, adding that were it not for the military, they would have been killed, as the police had given up on them.

“Daddy, what will I say than to say thank you. When I thought there was no hope, God used you for me. I pray God will surprise you and reward you bountifully,” said Miss Simiat Afe-Ire, one of the corps members evacuated from Kano.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the evacuation of the stranded corps members, LASEMA General Manager, Dr. Osanyitolu, said the agency received an emergency call from the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, asking for help, adding that this prompted Governor Fashola to issue a directive that the corps members be evacuated to prevent harm from coming their way.