We ate leaves, drank filthy water to survive, say ex-corps members

AKWA Ibom State graduates kidnapped last year in Zamfara State, during a trip to commence their National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, duty in Sokoto State, have appealed to both Federal and their state governments to provide them employment to assist their gradual healing from the trauma.

Eight of the corps members who left Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, heading to Sokoto NYSC Orientation Camp were abducted August 17, of last year along with their bus driver in an ambush on the Zamfara highway.
The victims who endured untold torture in the kidnappers’ den were freed in batches with Solomon Daniel being last to be released after being held for a year.

Sharing their experiences in Uyo, yesterday, some of the victims complained of suffering severe health challenges and post-traumatic pains since passing through the harrowing experience.

Solomon Daniel said he was held longer than the rest after the abductors separated him from his colleagues for refusing to yield to payment of ransom as his widow’s mother could not afford the demanded ransom.

Held August 17, 2023, and freed August 22, 2024, Daniel recounted, “I went through a lot. I chewed leaves to survive and drank extremely dirty water.

“I was tortured daily from morning till evening. I could not defecate or urinate for three months. I thought I was going to die.”

Considered the ‘most stubborn’ by the abductors, Daniel narrated he was transported on a motorcycle from Zamfara to Kaduna State through bush paths and was for several months guarded by over 10 armed men before he got rescued by security operatives.

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Victoria Bassey, another of the victims said: “I never believed I would survive such terrible conditions. Even during our menstrual periods, we couldn’t bath. We drank flood water to stay alive.”

Etim Bassey, another victim said the kidnappers posed as uniformed military men manning a supposed check point where they were abducted.

“Our bus was intercepted at a bad spot in Zamfara we mistook for a checkpoint. The area was blocked with logs of wood and manned by armed men in military uniforms, who ordered us into the forest,” he stated.

In their gratitude to stakeholders whose effort made their rescue possible, the former corps members appealed for gainful employment and other forms of assistance the state and federal governments could accord them to help heal.

They thanked President Bola Tinubu, Director-General of NYSC, Gen Yusha’u Ahmed, Governor Umo Eno of the state, security operatives, and other well-meaning Nigerians for role in securing their freedom.

Matthew Koffi Okono, Founder and President, Open Forum Care for Humanity Foundation, the NGO which mobilised them to share their experiences lent voice to their call for job opportunities, urging the government to assist in easing their ‘post-traumatic experience.’

Okono then advocated reforms of the NYSC scheme, stating, “The Federal Government should look into making the NYSC scheme more pro-development and safer, to add more value to nation-building.”

We ate leaves, drank filthy water to survive, say ex-corps members

We will enforce anti-open grazing law — Delta govt

DELTA State Government has emphasised it’s determination to enforce it’s Anti-Open Grazing Law, as part of steps to enhance food security in the state.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Val Arenyeka, stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Asaba, the state capital, noted, “We believe that open grazing is a crime.”
He said the state government was out to ensure that that farmers were safe in their farms, expressing it’s readiness to create enabling environment for the establishment of ranches.

Arenyeka said: “First, there must be peace, because without peace, there can be no development and human beings cannot even develop without peace. Why do I say there is need for peace as it affects agriculture?
“Open grazing is the greatest problem we have, facing agriculture and until we solve that, moving forward is going to be a very big challenge. We believe that open grazing is a crime, we have a law against it.

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“The first step in making our farms safe for farmers is to make sure that we enforce the law and I want to assure you that our Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is determined to enforce that law, but what we are trying to do is to create enabling environment for people to establish ranches.

“Once we are able to provide that environment and the business of herding, being a personal business, those businessmen will come and establish ranching which we will give them land to do, then we would have conquered the first phase of food insecurity.

“Furthermore, we believe that agriculture is everybody’s business. The Delta State government is going into a scheme called homestead farming. Homestead farming simply means that you in your environment, you can grow some tomatoes that you don’t have to go to the market and buy.

“We are trying to encourage us to do homestead farming. Delta State government is also providing professional farmers with farm inputs and seedlings to do better in their agriculture.”

We will enforce anti-open grazing law — Delta govt

Emefiele: EFCC wants US-based witnesses to testify virtually

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested permission from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, to allow two witnesses based in the United States to testify virtually in the ongoing trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

During the court session presided over by Justice Maryanne Anenih, prosecution counsel Abass Mohammed sought the court’s approval for the witnesses, I.E Obiora and Aisha Ahmed, to provide their testimonies via video links, citing logistical challenges in bringing them to Nigeria.

“We filed a motion seeking my lord’s indulgence to take the oral evidence of the two witnesses via Zoom or any other video links, my lord,” Mohammed told the court.

The EFCC is prosecuting Emefiele on a four-count charge that includes disobedience of legal directives and actions deemed illegal, all related to the controversial naira redesign policy. According to the commission, Emefiele’s alleged actions have caused harm to the public.

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Mohammed emphasized that the motion had been served on the defence counsels, adding, “subject to my lord’s permission, we seek my lord’s permission to move the motion.”

In response, the defence counsel, A. Labi-Lawal, expressed no opposition to the request but sought clarification on whether these would be the final witnesses to be called by the prosecution.

“We are not opposing the motion, but we would like to confirm from the prosecution whether these are the only witnesses that are left in the trial, my lord,” he said.

Addressing the defence counsel’s query, Mohammed clarified that other witnesses would be called later, explaining that the two U.S.-based witnesses were part of a broader review of the prosecution’s case plan.

After hearing arguments from both parties, Justice Anenih granted the EFCC‘s request for virtual testimonies and adjourned the trial to the following dates: November 14, November 26, December 4, 2024, and January 21, 2025.

Emefiele: EFCC wants US-based witnesses to testify virtually