Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to personally intervene and end the four months ordeals of the kidnapped eight corps members in the hands of dare-devil terrorists in Zamfara State four months ago, on their way to the NYSC Orientation Camp.

HURIWA said it was unfortunate that youngsters who were on their way to answer the call of their fatherland for a one year selfless, national services to communities in the deep North West, would be violently abducted and ferried into the expansive Zamfara forests by kidnappers for four months.

The group blasted security agencies in the country for allegedly displaying crass lack of intelligence-guided capacities to rescue these youth corpers, arrest the culprits and bring them to justice. “It is as if these youths who were going for the national services to Nigeria have simply been abandoned by the Nigerian state. This crude reality will inevitably shrink the passion amongst young Nigerians to render altruistic service to Nigeria since it is now evidently conspicuous that the kidnapped corpers are abandoned by government to their cruel fate,” the association said a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.

They also expressed disappointment over thZae non-chalant disposition of the mfara State Governor and his administration towards putting measures in motion that could have led to releasing the corps members from Akwa Ibom State by the terrorists.

HURIWA said it was worrisome that parents and family members of the kidnapped prospective corps members on August 17, 2023 were currently gripped with fear as the abductors demanding N10 million ransom each for the release of their victims.

HURIWA recalled that a section of the media has just disclosed that one of the victim’s family member, Mr. Mfon Friday, in Uyo, said so far, a total sum of N30.8million ransom has been paid to the abductors who were yet to release corsp members. “As we speak, our children are still in Zamfara bush, including the driver of AKTC and it is over 100 days when they were kidnapped. When they called on Monday, the kidnappers said parents should pay another N70 million,” Friday was quoted as lamenting.

The rights group said that the kidnappers even threatened to leave the abducted corpers to die if the parents don’t pay the ransom very soon just as he expressed disappointment that the government, which includes the federal and state governments, have yet to transparently adopt concrete steps to save the lives of those young graduates.

HURIWA said it endorsed the position of one of the member of the families that these abducted corpers were abandoned by all levels of the Nigerian government because they are not children of Policemen, the Army and politicians that is why they have been allowed to remain in the kidnappers den till today.

HURIWA expressed consternation that information reaching the family members of the abducted corpers show that the remaining seven corpers have also fallen seriously sick and that is why the kidnappers are demanding this huge ransom and threatening that if the families don’t pay very soon, they would be left to die.

The association alleged that the Zamfara State and federal governments do not appear to be working as a united front to restore security and stability and therefore pleaded with President Tinubu to intervene and ensure the release of the corpers.

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