Two shot, 41 arrested as youths hunting for palliatives raid Abuja NYSC camp

Security operatives shot two persons while 41 other suspected hoodlums were arrested.

Security operatives shot two persons while 41 other suspected hoodlums were arrested during a raid at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Camp located in Kubwa, Abuja Tuesday morning.

Youths in their hundreds reportedly besieged the facility around 9 am in search of palliatives.

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It was gathered that, as the youths could not find any, they broke into the camp’s personal warehouse where they took some training kits comprising NYSC uniforms and shoes, skills acquisition tools, and camping mattresses.

Five newly acquired motorcycles used during a training exercise, office equipment like computers, freezers, electric generators and cooking pots were also not spared by the rampaging youths said to be numbering about three hundreds.

The two injured persons were said to have been chased by soldiers, who were called in as the looting was taking place.

Earlier, some policemen rushed to the scene but they were, however, overwhelmed by the youths, according to one of the security guards on duty.

A witness told Daily Trust that the two persons shot were attempting to confront some soldiers, who chased them down to Kukwaba, a nearby area close to the camp.

“That was when they shot the leg of one of them and another one on his hand,” he said.

He said the two persons were later rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

Speaking to our reporter thereafter, the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier Shuaibu Ibrahim, who confirmed the arrest of 41 suspects, added, however, that he was not aware of the two persons reportedly shot by the soldiers.

He said the sad development was coming when preparation had gone far for reopening the camp.

According to him, in the course of doing that, NCDC officials had paid an inspection visit to the camp and certified it.

The DG confirmed that sometime in July, some palliatives items were kept in the camp, adding that they have since been distributed.

“The few bags of rice stolen by the youths were taken from our store. They were left over from our last camping program, which was called off one week into the program, following the COVID-19 lockdown”, he added.

When contacted, the Kubwa Divisional Police Officer, CSP Bello Abdullahi, said no fewer than 30 suspects were already in the division and would be taken to the command CID for further investigation and later for prosecution.

Hoodlums have been attacking warehouses all over the country in the past week in search of COVID-19 palliatives.