Adedokun Waliyu 
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has described as untrue the story that some corps members were raped in their lodge during an attack in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, the NYSC State Coordinator for Akwa Ibom, said this in a statement issued on Thursday in Uyo, to debunk the rumour circulating on various social media platforms.
Ekwe said that although some thieves burgled the lodge on Wednesday and collected some of the corps members’ phones, nobody was injured nor raped as reported on social media.
According to her, a visit to the lodge on Udo Ekong Ekwere Street, off Information Drive, Uyo, in the company of the Commissioner of Police, CP Olatoye Durosinmi, revealed that the corps members were in good condition without any injury.
“The attention of the NYSC management in Akwa lbom state has been drawn to an online publication, with the caption, ‘Akwa Ibom: Gunmen attack NYSC lodge, rob, rape women’, published by one of the titled newspapers and reported by several online media.
“In the said story making the rounds, it was alleged that gunmen attacked, raped, robbed and dispossessed corps members of their valuables at Udo Ekong Ekwere Street, off Information Drive, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state where they reside.
“To put the unfortunate incident in proper perspective, the NYSC state Coordinator, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, in company of the Police Commissioner, Mr Olatoye Durosinmi, visited the corps members for an on the spot assessment.
“While there, it was confirmed that 21 corps members occupy the said property. The interaction with them further revealed that an attack on them was actually carried out by thieves at about 1.00 a.m. in the morning,” she said.
The coordinator explained that in the process, the invaders took their valuables including phones, laptops and some cash.
”They confirmed that no bodily harm was meted on them and no Corps member was raped.
“While the actions and intentions of those criminal elements remain condemnable, we passionately appeal to the social media operators, particularly, Punch online, to exercise restraint and not trivialise such unfortunate incident.
“As the consequences on the psychology of parents and guardians of corps members in the state will be dangerously affected,” she said.
Ekwe said that the commissioner had assured the corps members and the public that the police has launched an investigation on the matter and that the culprits would soon be apprehended.
She added that CP had equally detailed surveillance around the area with a promise to extend same to other corps members lodges.
She reaffirmed that there was no incident of rape and urged Corps members to go about their lawful duties and use the security lines already provided when in distress.
