A group of 69 people who were operating an illegal National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Nasarawa State were sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of a N10, 000 fine by a Keffi Upper Area Court yesterday.
The illegal corps members were arrested by personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at Angwan Lambu in Keffi Local Government Area.
During the trial, all the affected persons pleaded guilty to the charges. Their counsel pleaded for leniency, since they were first offenders. He also asked that the court proceedings should not be covered by the media. However, his request was rejected by the trial judge, Edward Ali.
The prosecuting lawyer, in his arguments, stated that the court should punish the offenders in order to serve as a deterrent to others.
Delivering his judgment, Mr Ali explained that being a first-timer is not enough justification to level justice; rather justice would be dispensed accordingly.
"Having listened to the various counsel, and in line with section 154 of the Northern Nigeria penal code, the convicts are, therefore, sentenced to three years imprisonment or option of fine of N10, 000 each."
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has expressed its satisfaction with the judgment.
Source: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Crime/5604830-147/69_fake_nysc_members_jailed_.csp
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Last Monday uproar along Keffi- Akwaga Road, Nasarawa state, got residents of the area wondering what the problem was, as members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) fled in different directions.
Decency was thrown to the dust as some of them reportedly fled half nude and bare footed, jumping into any available means of transportation, from a camp located about a kilometre behind a police post, which is used as orientation of the NYSC members.
In their confused states, most of them fled, leaving their property at the mercy of the invaders who were later discovered to be officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC). However, some of the unlucky ones were whisked away in the NSCDC vehicle. NSCDC vehicle.
Not too long, reason for the invasion was discovered to be that the orientation camp which has been in existence for some time was illegal. Other startling revelations about the clamp down according to spokesman for the NSCDC, Mr Okeh Emmanuel, revealed that some of the corps members were students from different higher institutions of learning who did not graduate owing to problems associated with carry over courses. Others, according to Emmanuel, were students of satellite campuses, Distance learning programmes and Part time study centres, who are not permitted to partake in the compulsory one year youth service.
Preliminary investigation according to Emmanuel, revealed that a syndicate which key members are on the run, instituted the fake orientation camp. This, they succeeded in doing with the alleged connivance of some key members of the NYSC headquarters, Abuja.
Emmanuel stated further that preliminary investigation also revealed that a total number of three hundred fake Corp members went through the compulsory one month orientation at the camp and were awaiting deployment to their respective areas of primary assignment which was to take place on Tuesday 27th July, 2010, when luck ran against them.
Astonished at the discovery, Emmanuel hinted: “As an organized crime, the whole exercise is a syndicate thing made up of a cartel all over the country with agents both in the tertiary Institutions, NYSC Office and so on.
“Investigation so far revealed that the Agent at the South-East in whose account money was deposited by one of the victims as indicated in the teller, is called Chinedu Ogene Uchendu while that of South-South axis is called Osita, and Steve Agabi, a staff of University of Jos coordinated the axis. From the arrested persons’ statement, there is a link between the coordinators and staff of NYSC headquarter, Abuja, where one Mr. Abraham was mentioned”.
Nursing mother also arrested
A total of sixty-nine fake corps members according to him were arrested. Among them was a nursing mother who reportedly came to the camp with her child. During interrogation, Emmanuel said the arrested fake corps members confessed to have paid as much as N70,000 to N150,000 to their agents , in order to take part in the compulsory one year service at the end of which they would be issued NYSC discharge certificates. They were said to have also confessed that the gentle man agreement did not include their benefitting from the Federal government monthly allowance.
NYSC and NSCDC on manhunt for collaborators
Expressing shock at the dexterity with which the cartel operates, Emmanuel said, “As at the time of parading the fake Corpers before members of the press by the Deputy Commandant General, Operations, Mr.Evans Ewurum, the representative of NYSC Director General Dr. John Abuluera, Director of Procurement attested to the fact that insinuation and suspicion about the influx of fake Corps members have been on air and as a matter of fact that the DG had set in motion all necessary machinery to track down suspects.
“The Director of Mobilisation, Mrs Michala stressed that the agency with the aid of the DG will not relent in their pursuit of purging the system of fake corps members, as well as hunting for personnel that are likely to be involved in this type of heinous crime. She also assured that they would not only lose their job but face prosecution in line with the law of the land”
The collaboration with the various security agencies of government according to him was what lead to the arrest by Civil Defense Officers, adding that the arrest would serve as deterrent to others.
The arrested corps members as gathered, were immediately charged to an upper Area Court, Keffi for further prosecution.
Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/04/nscdc-uncovers-illegal-nysc-orientation-camp/
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