Afenifere advocates regional NYSC, enforcement of Terrorism Prohibition Act

• Lauds release of kidnapped medical students, corps members
• Decries kidnap resurgence in Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, S’East, North

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has canvassed the regionalisation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme and the enforcement of Terrorism Prohibition Act, 2022.

The group, which decried the resurgence of kidnapping in Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, South-East and parts of the North, also commended the release of the graduates who were kidnapped on their way from Akwa Ibom to Sokoto State for their one-year national service under the NYSC programme.

Afenifere, in a statement, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, reiterated its advocacy for enrollees to the scheme to be allowed to serve within their geopolitical zones rather than going from one part of the country to the other.

The statement stated: “It will recalled that the last batch of the youth corps members that spent almost a whole year in the den of their abductors were rescued last week by the combined efforts of security agencies in the country through the police, army, intelligence agencies and so on.

“In a similar vein, some medical students of the Universities of Jos and Maiduguri who were kidnapped around Otukpo, Benue State, on their way to Enugu for this year’s yearly Catholic medical students’ conference, were also rescued last week by the security agencies with the support of local vigilante groups.
They were kidnapped along with one of their lecturers travelling with them. Afenifere commended the security agencies for this.”

The pan-Yoruba organisation observed that the pockets of ‘achievements’ appear to be dwarfed by the avalanche of security challenges people are facing in different parts of the country.

Other instances cited by Afenifere were the recent kidnappings that took place in Ekiti State and parts of Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State as well as the siege laid on Imeko Afon community in Ogun State.

The statement added: “To put an end to this scourge that is eating into the fabrics of the nation, there is urgent need by the government to start the immediate implementation of the Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022 (TPA 2022) signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2022.

“Fear of kidnappers and attacks by bandits, including cattle rustlers, are now rampant as exemplified by the lamentation of Iwoye-Ketu leaders mentioned inter alia.”