Armed robbers raid NYSC ‘corpers’ lodge, third time in 5 months

Armed robbers at the weekend invaded the residence of members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Ogun State. The lodge is located behind Development Centre, Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta from where the thieves made away with their valuables.

The robbery in the lodge, which is the third in the last five months, occurred on Saturday at about 3.00 a.m. when the corps members were asleep. The victims lost money, ten laptops and over twenty-five telephones to the marauders.

A victim said the bandits gained access to the lodge, and woke the corps members at gun point.

Some of the victims who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES under the condition of anonymity, said the gang numbering about four escaped through a foot path after the operations.

According to the victims, on arrival, the gang forced their ways into each flat, moved from one room to another to ransack, while the other two stayed outside to forestall any possible resistance.

“The robbers came around 3.00 a.m. working on the porosity of the lodge, and forcefully found their way into our flats, where at gunpoint made away with money, ten laptops and over twenty-five mobile phones.

“They, however, left behind our certificates and other educational documents earlier stolen alongside other valuables. This is the third time the robbers would be raiding us”, one of the victims narrated.

The corps members said they had reported the first two incidents to the police, yet no action was taken before the latest one. They appealed to security agencies to provide adequate security for them.

“We are begging security authorities in the state and NYSC authority to come to our aid, before the bandits start killing us,” a corps member stated.

They, however, say they are now making their own security arrangements.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the Ogun Police spokesperson,  Muyiwa Adejobi, proved abortive. His phone could not be reached after several attempts.

However, officers at the Ibara police station where reports were made said surveillance will be intensified in the area.