By JOY KAKA

The NYSC announced on Tuesday that 43 hoodlums, who invaded its Abuja camp, had been arrested and some of the stolen items recovered.

Its Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that some of the invaders included married women and young persons.

The invaders had stormed the NYSC Orientation camp located in Kubwa, Bwari Local Government, to loot food, kits and other camp items they believed were kept in the stores.

“They came in at 7 a.m. and burgled the store where the FCT administration kept palliatives for COVID-19 victims, but found the store empty as everything was distributed since July.

“We told them that we do not have anything left. But when that first group left, another group came and burgled other stores in camp where our NYSC kits are kept.

“They took the NYSC kits comprising of hats, caps and boots. They also took plastic chairs, mattresses, freezers and drums used to barricade the gate.

“The hoodlums proceeded to the NYSC coordinator’s residence, broke the wall, removed television sets, air conditioners, freezers, among other items,” he said.

The director-general, however, confirmed that some of the items had been recovered from the communities around the camp.

He appealed to Nigerians to respect the NYSC camps in view of the contribution of corp members to national development.

“As we speak, principals of schools have been calling for corps members. Hospitals are also anxious and so are many other establishments.

“We are about to resume camp and we need to train these corp members so that they can resume their normal contribution to our country,” he said.

He thanked the Chief of Army Staff for the timely intervention and for deploying soldiers to protect all camps nationwide.

Also speaking, the NYSC Coordinator in the FCT, Hajia Walida Sadiq, said that the hoodlums scaled the fence to gain entry into the camp.

“They burnt tyres and threw them into the camp in an attempt to set structures ablaze.

“Thank God for the timely intervention of the army. The NYSC director-general alerted them and I alerted the Commissioner of Police.

“They (looters) took away uniforms, kits, loud speakers, toilet seats and power generators,” she lamented.

Sadiq appealed to youths to avoid destroying the nation, pointing out that they would always regret such unruly behaviour.

“Youths must learn to respect constituted authority and the government. The nation cannot progress when its youths behave in such a shameful way,” Sadiq said. (NAN)

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