Gunmen yesterday killed a nursing mother and her four children in Yong
village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The
development followed a denial by the state National Youth Service Corps
(NYSC) and the state government that over 50 corps members were killed
in a bomb blast at their Orientation Camp. The family of five were
killed in their farm near their house.
The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ladan, confirmed the incident to reporters. One of the children was reported to have died later in the hospital. Our correspondent learnt that the tragedy occurred in the early hours of yesterday. Ladan said their bodies were found on the farm with gunshot wounds. The widower, Mr. Luke Jumtuk, said his wife and children were killed while working on their farm behind his house.
Jumtuk appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the recurrent attacks in the area. Meanwhile, the NYSC yesterday denied that no corps member was killed in the on-going orientation at Wailo Camp. The Director, Nuhu Kwaghe, briefing journalists, described the rumour as “wicked,” saying that all the 1, 350 corps members deployed are in good health.
Kwaghe said: “You are in Bauchi and if anything happened, you will be aware,. Nothing has happened like that at all. All is well in the camp right now and the corps members are on the parade ground as I am speaking with you now.” One of the corps members, Miss Penuel Thauthau, told Daily Sun at the camp that the claim came to her as a surprise.
She said: “My phone was bombarded this morning and throughout the day with the news of the blast. I was very surprised to hear that there was bomb blast at the camp. “There is nothing like that. This is very wicked. On the contrary, we are having a good time in camp even though the exercise is very stressful, but I am enjoying it and meeting people and making friends. Why would anyone want to spoil it? It is very unfortunate.” The state government has also denied the rumour.
A statement from the Governor’s Office signed by Ishola Michael Adeyemi, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, described the rumour as “baseless, unfounded and an information that cannot be substantiated by the peddlers who are bent on disrupting the peaceful atmosphere in the state.
“The rumour is the handiwork of a few people who are enemies of peace and who want to cause unnecessary panic among the people particularly the corps members, who are visitors to the state, the rumour is a mere figment of the imagination of the mongers.
“As a government, we are committed to the protection of lives and property of every law-abiding citizen of the state, adequate security measures had been put in place and we are working with all security agencies in the state and the efforts are paying off as Bauchi has remained peaceful in spite of the security challenges the country is facing.
“We are therefore, assuring all those who have children and wards at the Wailo NYSC Orientation Camp that the situation there is calm as the corps members were seen going about their normal camp activities without any hindrances, we also want to assure them that their children are safe in Bauchi as adequate security measures have been provided at the camp, they should therefore, disregard the rumour,” the governor assured.
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