CORPS MEMBERS RELOCATED FROM VIOLENCE-HIT BENUE COMMUNITIES AMID UNREST

In a swift response to escalating violence in Benue State, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has evacuated corps members stationed in volatile locations, relocating them to safer areas within the state capital, Makurdi. The NYSC’s State Coordinator, Veronica Garba, made this known during an official visit to Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area.
Garba confirmed that corps members were moved from high-risk zones including Yelewata and Daudu, with police escort ensuring their safety. “Once we received alerts about attacks, we immediately contacted the Commissioner of Police, and his men helped us evacuate the corps members,” she explained. All relocated individuals were reported present and unharmed following a comprehensive headcount.
Currently, the affected corps members are being housed through the coordinated support of religious and youth fellowship groups. Among these are the Nigeria Corpers Christian Fellowship, National Association of Catholic Corps Members, and the Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria. These groups have opened up their family houses to temporarily accommodate the evacuees, reinforcing NYSC’s reliance on community solidarity during emergencies.
Garba urged families of corps members not to panic, assuring them of their children’s safety and pointing to heightened government security efforts in Benue, including the deployment of top security officers. “Most importantly,” she added, “God is with them.”
This measure follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to Makurdi, during which he met with stakeholders and security chiefs. He issued a directive for immediate stabilization of the affected communities and the arrest of perpetrators behind the recent wave of killings.