Nigeria Content Online

The Kwara State
government has evacuated corps members from the state serving in some
northern states in the country. Some of the corps members were attacked
during the riots that broke out in the wake of the presidential
elections, leaving them stranded and traumatised. The secretary to the
Kwara State government, Saka Abimbola Issau said yesterday that youth
corps members of Kwara State origin currently serving in Bauchi State
have been brought back to Ilorin, the state capital.

“The state government placed high premium on the lives of its citizens, irrespective of where they live,” he said.

They arrived in Ilorin on Monday night and have since joined their families.

“The government
thanks parents and guardians of the corps members and other well
wishers for their patience and understanding during the evacuation
exercise and assure them of the government’s readiness to cater for the
welfare of its citizens at all time,” Mr Issau said.

The coordinator of
the state’s corps members serving in Bauchi State, Abubakar Rafiu also
expressed the appreciation of his members to the state government over
the evacuation programme and pledged their continuous loyalty to the
government of Nigeria.

He said his colleagues always prayed to God to intervene in the crisis so that peace would return to the region.

Bad experience

Some of the
affected corps members expressed their displeasure over the incident.
Bello Saheed Olanrewaju, a graduate of the Kwara State polytechnic who
was deployed to Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, said:
“The crises erupted as a result of the outcome of the various elections
conducted in the state, with opposition parties challenging the victory
of the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP).

“We were rescued by
the local government inspector in Alkaleri Local Government Area who
sneaked us into the 301 Artillery barracks in Bauchi, where we spent
two days before joining a bus to Jos, Plateau State and finally to
Ilorin,” he said.

Owolabi Bolaji, a
corps member deployed to Misau Local Government said: “our lodge was
set ablaze by the protesters and we quickly find rescue with the State
Security Service (SSS) officials in Bauchi. We spent two days there and
later added another two days at the Army barracks in Bauchi before
finding our way down to Ilorin.

“It was a terrible experience. We call on the Federal government to
look into the welfare of the corps members across the country so as to
ensure the survival of the scheme.”