Corps members evacuated from trouble states

Corps members evacuated from trouble states
By Qasim Akinreti, Lagos

State governments in Nigeria's southern states have responded to the plea of their youths serving under the National Youth Service Corps (NYS) in Northern Nigeria to evacuate them from the states where post the post election violence have been reported.

Over 270 evacuated NYSC members serving in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi States, who are residents and indigenes of Lagos State have expressed their appreciation to the State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) for his timely response to their distress call and rescue from the trouble spots.

Osun and Ondo states governments have also evacuated their indigenes.

84 of the Corps members were evacuated on Sunday from Kano and Jigawa States, while another two batches of 138 and 48 Corps members arrived in Lagos on Monday by morning and evening flights respectively from Bauchi State.

The earlier batch of Corps members who spoke at a Press Conference held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa through their spokesperson, Jimoh Nunayon, who served in Dala Local Government in Kano, said the timely intervention of Governor Fashola saved them from a looming danger.

Harrowing experience

While painting a picture of how they all had a close shave with death on April 18, when they were attacked by miscreants who were protesting the Presidential election results, Nunayon said it was providence that saved them from being attacked by the young men who had them in mind.

 “I just came out from my lodge that Monday morning around 9am, local time, to go out, I just saw some gang of guys coming, we call them Almajiris, with cutlasses, sticks, they were approaching and shouting as they came, all what I could get from what they were saying because they were speaking Hausa is “Sai Baba, Sai Baba, Sai Baba” they were just coming towards me”

“We were asking what was happening, they now said there was riot because of the Presidential elections. That the target of the rioters were the NYSC members because they were the ones that allegedly rigged the elections on behalf of the president, so in the lodge, we gathered all the corps members, there were about 25 of us in that lodge,

“They gathered us in a room and we were locked inside. They must not know that we were inside that room, that if they knew, they could burn all of us inside. he explained.

He said when all hope seemed lost and the Corps members could not rely solely on the assurance given by the NYSC director that they will be protected; a text message was sent to the Governor of Lagos State who responded swiftly to their SOS.

The evacuation process

While explaining how the evacuation was executed, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said that immediately the agency received distress calls from Corps members serving in Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi states, the permission of the Governor was sought to activate the emergency response plan.

He said that immediately the Governor gave his go ahead, the emergency response plan was activated with LASEMA fine-tuning logistics method to move swiftly, promptly and effectively.

Dr Osanyintolu said the evacuation process is on-going as men of LASEMA are on ground strategically in Jigawa, Gombe and Bauchi States while another batch of about 100 corps members are expected in Lagos on Tuesday.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr Hakeem Bello said that the State Government was monitoring events closely in all the affected states as the evacuation process was still on-going to ensure that the Corps members are not exposed to undue danger.

The SMS tactics

Some of the corps members in a Short Message Service (SMS), sent to Governor Fashola said : "Your Excellency Sir, Thanks for the great things You have done for us. We, Kano State Corps members are very grateful for what you did for us yesterday. You should be prepared for the gift of God and be ready always for new ones. Because God is ready to give you than anyone has ever received from you. May He who knows your want grant you your desire."

Another SMS stated: "Daddy, what will I say than to say Thank You, because when I think there is no hope for me, I pray God will surprise you and reward you bountifully in Jesus Name. Your Excellency, words are not enough to express sound appreciation towards your caring heart, saving over 84 of us from Kano to Lagos. Thank You Sir, uncommon Governor."

PR/Williams