The mind boggling tale of violence, pain and deaths that heralded last Saturday’s national and state Assembly rerun election in River State is far from over as the management of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has confirmed the death of one of its corps members.
In a statement issued yesterday, NYSC gave the identity of the victim as Okonta Dumebi Samuel with corps number RV/15B/5539.
Okonta, an orphan was said to have been killed by gunmen in Ahoada West Local Government Area. No fewer than 15 persons were killed in the poll which observers said is one of the bloodiest in the annals of elections in the country since the advent of democracy in 1999.
Two other corps members who were with Okonta at the time of the abduction were said to have escaped from the scene through the help of security agents, the statement added.
Okonta, who served at GCSS, Ukpeliede, was described as a patriotic young man by the NYSC management. The statement described the killing as “primitive, barbaric, and ungodly and should be strongly condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.”
The NYSC management promised to work with relevant agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of “this heinous act” are fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.
“We consider Okonta Samuel’s death as a great loss, not only to his immediate family, but also to all of us in the NYSC family and the entire nation,” the statement added.
While the nation mourns the untimely death of Okonta, another corps member, Anana Aniekan Udoetor, who was earlier reported missing, has been found and is “hale and hearty,” the NYSC said.
A total of 6,880 NYSC members served during the ill-fated rerun polls.
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