In the wake of escalating insecurity in parts of Benue State, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has swiftly moved corps members from volatile areas to secure lodgings in Makurdi, the state capital.
The State Coordinator, Mrs Veronica Garba, disclosed the development on Thursday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area. She confirmed that the corps members previously stationed in Yelewata and Daudu were safely evacuated following coordinated efforts with security operatives.
“As soon as we received news of the unrest, we contacted the Benue State Commissioner of Police. He immediately deployed officers who helped us relocate the corps members,” Garba explained.
According to her, the individuals were promptly housed in NYSC-approved accommodations, including facilities managed by the Nigeria Corpers Christian Fellowship, National Association of Catholic Corps Members, and Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria.
“After the evacuation, we conducted a thorough headcount and confirmed that no one was unaccounted for. The corps members have now been resettled in Makurdi, pending a return to their primary assignments once normalcy is restored,” she added.
Mrs Garba assured anxious families that their children were unharmed and under strict supervision. “We prioritise their well-being as we would our own children. Parents should remain calm; their children are safe.”
She expressed confidence that the deployment of top security officials to Benue would stabilise the situation. “With the recent arrival of the country’s security heads, we expect the atmosphere to improve significantly.”
She further urged families to find comfort in faith: “Beyond physical security, we trust God to continue safeguarding the lives of these young Nigerians.”
This comes just a day after President Bola Tinubu visited Makurdi, where he held a high-level meeting with state leaders and ordered security agencies to restore calm and bring perpetrators of the recent killings to justice.
The intervention follows last Friday’s deadly attack in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, where dozens were killed by suspected armed herders.
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