Its Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, told our reporter that some of the invaders included married women and young persons.

The invaders had stormed the NYSC Orientation camp located in Kubwa, Bwari Local Government, to loot food, kits and other camp items they believed were kept in the stores.

“They came in at 7 a.m. and burgled the store where the FCT administration kept palliatives for COVID-19 victims, but found the store empty as everything was distributed since July.

“We told them that we do not have anything left. But when that first group left, another group came and burgled other stores in camp where our NYSC kits are kept.

“They took the NYSC kits comprising of hats, caps and boots. They also took plastic chairs, mattresses, freezers and drums used to barricade the gate.

“The hoodlums proceeded to the NYSC coordinator’s residence, broke the wall, removed television sets, air conditioners, freezers, among other items” he said.

The director-general, however, confirmed that some of the items had been recovered from the communities around the camp.

He appealed to Nigerians to respect the NYSC camps in view of the contribution of corp members to national development.

“As we speak, principals of schools have been calling for corps members. Hospitals are also anxious and so are many other establishments.

“We are about to resume camp and we need to train these corp members so that they can resume their normal contribution to our country,” he said.

He thanked the Chief of Army Staff for the timely intervention and for deploying soldiers to protect all camps nationwide.

Also speaking, the NYSC Coordinator in the FCT, Hajia Walida Sadiq, said that the hoodlums scaled the fence to gain entry into the camp.

“They burnt tyres and threw them into the camp in an attempt to set structures ablaze.

“Thank God for the timely intervention of the army. The NYSC director-general alerted them and I alerted the Commissioner of Police.

“They (looters) took away uniforms, kits, loud speakers, toilet seats and power generators,” she lamented.

Sadiq appealed to youths to avoid destroying the nation, pointing out that they would always regret such unruly behaviour.

“Youths must learn to respect constituted authority and the government. The nation cannot progress when its youths behave in such a shameful way,” Sadiq said.

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Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, Director, Press and Public Relations of the NYSC, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The NYSC advised all prospective corps members to adhere strictly to COVID-19 protocols while in camp in order to have a hitch-free orientation course.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, also twitted to that effect via his official Twitter handle.

“The Resumption of the NYSC Orientation Camp for prospective Youth Corps members has been approved and opens on Nov. 10. Full COVID-19 Protocols will be enforced,” the minister said via his Twitter handle.

The Federal Government had on March 18, 2020, ordered the immediate closure of National Youth Corps Service orientation camps nationwide over coronavirus fears.

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Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, Director, Press and Public Relations of the scheme, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

”The attention of management of the scheme has been drawn to an online publication stating that the ”NYSC is set to reopen orientation camps, lists guidelines,” alluding that the scheme will soon resume orientation programme,” Adeyemi said.

She said the scheme placed very high premium on the lives of corps members, camp officials and other stakeholders .

”Which was the key reason it suspended 2020 Batch “A” Stream 1 orientation programme in March and shall never act in anyway that will compromise their safety.

“To reinforce the foregoing, it is apt to add that even when it has been sufficiently established it is safe to proceed to the camps for the resumption of normal activities, the corps shall only do so when it has received the nod of the Federal Government,” she said.

Adeyemi added that corps members and prospective corps members are advised to glean information concerning the scheme only from NYSC official sources – both the social and mainstream media.

According to her, the Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, admonished corps members and prospective ones to continue strict observance of COVID-19 safety protocols, predicated on social and physical distancing.

Others, he said, are wearing of face masks, proper washing of the hands for at least twenty seconds, and the use of hand sanitiser.The Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has says its orientation camps will reopen when it is very safe, in view of the formidable danger posed by COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, Director, Press and Public Relations of the scheme, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

”The attention of management of the scheme has been drawn to an online publication stating that the ”NYSC is set to reopen orientation camps, lists guidelines,” alluding that the scheme will soon resume orientation programme,” Adeyemi said.

She said the scheme placed very high premium on the lives of corps members, camp officials and other stakeholders.

“Which was the key reason it suspended 2020 Batch “A” Stream 1 orientation programme in March and shall never act in anyway that will compromise their safety.”

“To reinforce the foregoing, it is apt to add that even when it has been sufficiently established it is safe to proceed to the camps for the resumption of normal activities, the corps shall only do so when it has received the nod of the Federal Government,” she said.

Adeyemi added that corps members and prospective corps members are advised to glean information concerning the scheme only from NYSC official sources – both the social and mainstream media.

According to her, the Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, admonished corps members and prospective ones to continue strict observance of COVID-19 safety protocols, predicated on social and physical distancing.

Others, he said, are wearing of face masks, proper washing of the hands for at least twenty seconds, and the use of hand sanitiser.

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Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, the Director, Press and Public Relations of NYSC, said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

The statement quoted Brg.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, the Director-General of the scheme, saying this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, in Abuja.

Ibrahim informed the NCDC boss that NYSC suspended the 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One Orientation Course just one week into the exercise as a proactive measure to avert the spread of COVID-19 to any of the orientation camps.

He said other operations of the scheme were scaled down in line with the Federal Government’s restrictions order.

Ibrahim said that the passing-out of the 2019 Batch ‘B’ Stream One corps members was low-keyed with full adherence to the COVID-19 prevention protocols.

He said conscious of the possibility of further or complete lifting of lockdown, the strategies mapped out by the NYSC management had taken care of various scenarios, and would be presented to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 through the NCDC for guidance.

The NYSC director-general said the suspended 2020 Batch ‘A’ Stream One orientation course would be completed, when the scheme received the green light from the PTF.

He also briefed Ihekweazu on the various COVID-19 interventions made by the scheme especially through corps members’ activities all over the country, including sensitisation, production and distribution of face masks.

Others, he said, are liquid soaps, hand sanitiser, automated disinfection chambers as well as automated and foot-operated liquid soap, hand sanitiser and water dispenser.

Ibrahim therefore solicited the PTF’s support in the funding of mass production of the automated disinfection chambers for use in all the NYSC orientation camps.

He commended the NCDC for its role in the overall national efforts at containing the COVID-19.

Responding, Ihekweazu commended NYSC for its support to the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic through corps member’s activities.

He particularly expressed delight at the fabrication of hand washing machines and production of disinfectants among other interventions.

Ihekweazu, who praised the contributions of the scheme to the unity and development of the country, stressed that it deserved every form of support to enable it succeed.

The NCDC boss assured that the proposals presented by the NYSC director-general would be studied and recommendations made to the appropriate authorities.

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Mrs Joyce Madaki, NYSC Public Relations Officer, told our reporter in Lagos, made the declaration while reacting to the report of alleged riot at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana-Ipaja, on Sunday.

Madaki described the report as “false and should be disregarded.”

She explained that the management of NYSC had on July 7 received information about activities of some cult groups on camp and took preventive measures to forestall any attack.

The NYSC spokesperson said the state coordinator, Mr Sunday Aroni, had on Sunday morning briefed the corps members and business owners operating in the camp market of the security threat.

She said the camp market was then closed at 8:30p.m as against the usual 10:00p.m on Sunday.

“Today, our attention was drawn to a report on the social media that there was riot at Lagos NYSC camp on Sunday, because the camp director reduced the time for light-out from 10:00p.m to 8:30 pm.

“The corps review the time for light-out yesterday, Sunday based on security report we received that cults were having a programme.

“We acted accordingly so that the corps members can go to bed early enough.

“When the bell was rang for the light-out, some corps members wanted to resist and there was little uproar which was controlled by security men on ground.

“During the process, there was an incident of a female corps member, who was hit on the forehead by a ceiling fan, while trying to come down from her bed to join others.

“When we got to the hostel, we saw them trying to take her to the clinic, and we were told that she was hit by a celling fan while trying to come down from her bed.

“Yes, a lady was injured while trying to get down from her bed, but there were no other casualties as been reported.

“The NYSC Lagos dismiss any report about a riot on the camp. There was no riot on the camp whatsoever.

“The problem started because we told them to go to bed earlier than they expected,” she said.

Madaki said activities on the last night on camp was always very busy, thus the announcement to go to bed early was not welcome by some corps members.

She said NYSC usually have security officers among corps members for security purposes, saying that the report received would be better managed if the corps members go to bed early.

“Also, do not forget that the last night on camp is usually a busy night and we don’t want anything to go wrong.

“We got information that July 7 was World International Axe Day and some groups were planning a meeting, so it was based on that we asked them to go to bed early and the camp market should be closed down at 8:30p.m.

“Apparently, some of the corps members were not happy with our decision and wanted to resist it, in the process the said corps member was injured on the head,” she said.

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