A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Rofiat Lawal, serving in Ibadan, Oyo State, has been abducted by unidentified gunmen along the notorious Benin-Ore Expressway.
This distressing incident has sparked widespread concern and calls for urgent action.
Lawal was reportedly traveling from Benin, Edo State, back to her place of primary assignment (PPA) in Ibadan on Tuesday when the abduction occurred. The information surfaced through a Facebook post by a user named Agbakwara, who detailed the harrowing situation.
READ:https://naijanewswatch.com/we-respond-with-projects/
According to Agbakwara’s post, Lawal managed to contact them, revealing that she was taken from an Ore-bound bus. The abductors are now demanding a ransom of N20 million for her safe release, placing an immense burden on her family.
The Facebook post also highlighted Lawal’s challenging background, noting that she had worked her way through university at Dufil company in Benin. The post expressed the desperation and helplessness felt by her friends and family, emphasizing that her parents are from a less privileged background and unable to meet the ransom demand.
Agbakwara further stated that they had reported the incident to the NYSC secretariat in Ibadan and provided Lawal’s call-up number, but had yet to receive a response. The post pleaded for public support, urging people to share the information and contact the authorities.
The Oyo State National Youth Service Corps Coordinator, Odoba Oche, confirmed the abduction in a telephone conversation. He stated that Lawal’s parents had reported the incident to the NYSC on Wednesday.
Oche also confirmed that the NYSC had contacted the National Headquarters, as well as the NYSC coordinators in Ondo and Edo states. Crucially, they had also alerted security agencies to the situation, requesting immediate intervention.
The National Youth Service Corps Coordinator stated that he was unaware of any ransom demand made by the kidnappers. He also stated that Lawal went home to Benin without informing the NYSC authority against the instruction of NYSC.
Oche reiterated the NYSC’s consistent advice to corps members: to always notify authorities before traveling and to avoid traveling at night. He stressed that adherence to these guidelines is crucial for the safety of corps members.
