The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has described as untrue, the report that some corps members were raped in their lodge during an attack in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, said this in a statement issued on Thursday.

Ekwe said although some thieves burgled the lodge on Wednesday and collected some of the corps members phones, nobody was injured nor raped as reported in the social media.

According to her, a visit to the lodge at Udo Ekong Ekwere Street, off Information Drive, Uyo, accompanied by the Commissioner of Police, CP Olatoye Durosinmi, revealed that the corps members were in good condition without any injury.

She stated: “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.

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“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.”

The coordinator added 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 remained 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 the commissioner had assured the NYSC members and the public that the police have launched an investigation on the matter and that the culprits would soon be apprehended.

She added that the state commissioner of police 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, urging the corps members to go about their lawful duties as well as use the security phone lines already provided, while in distressed.

The Star