The attack on Akwa Ibom corpers’ lodge

LAST week, a gang of robbers attacked a lodge at Udo Ekong Ekwere Street, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were residents. Threatening to kill the corps members if they did not open their doors, the robbers gained access to their rooms and dispossessed them of their valuables, including phones, laptops and cash. The corps members would later lament that while the attack lasted, they cried out for help but no one came to their rescue, while distraught residents and neighbours said that they approached the police but got no response.

There was also some controversy regarding the activities of the outlaws.  At first, it was reported that they raped the corps members during the dastardly operation. However, the NYSC authorities debunked the claim.  According to the state NYSC coordinator, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe,  who visited the victims in company with the state Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, for an on-the-spot assessment, while “interaction with the corps members revealed that an attack on them was actually carried out by thieves,” no corps member was raped. The coordinator disclosed that the CP had assured the corps members and the public that an investigation had been launched into the incident and that the culprits would soon be apprehended.

This incident is, to put it mildly, disturbing. It is yet another indication of the lamentable state of insecurity in the land. All over the country, crimes of monumental proportions are committed by outlaws, often without any consequences. This has apparently emboldened them to commit more crimes and make the country look like a lawless enclave. In the instant case, the robbers must have seen the corps members and their residence as being very vulnerable and therefore an easy target for their nefarious act. It is distressing that young people who ventured out of their comfort zones, leaving their parents and family members to hearken to the national call to serve their country were subjected to such a harrowing experience. Such ugly experiences create a climate of fear and apprehension and linger in victims’ memories. It is doubtful that corps members apprehensive about their safety and security can concentrate meaningfully on their primary assignments and give their places of primary assignment their all.

Certainly, the least the government could do in this case would be to ask the security agencies to go after these robbers, apprehend them and ensure that they face the full wrath of the law. Among other things, this would dissuade others from taking advantage of vulnerable members of the society who are simply doing what they can to support national integration. The government should also ensure that it does all it can to forestall a recurrence of such attacks. Again, it should ensure that security agencies, especially the police, are provided with the facilities they need to be able to respond to emergencies in a timely, efficient and professional manner. In the instant case, citizens being good Samaritans claimed that they reported the robbery operation to the police but got no response. This aspect of the case should be investigated to determine which institutional lapses led to the unfortunate outcome.

We urge the Akwa Ibom State government to take more than a passing interest in this case and ensure that justice is done. Security is, after all, the raison d’etre of the State.

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