Following the news of an alleged police brutality on a serving National Youth Service Corps, NYSC member in Zamfara state, the NYSC has taken steps to ensure the safety of the corps member by redeploying the corps member from Zamfara to Anambra State for the safety of his life.
This was made known by the by Mrs Victoria Okakwu, the NYSC Director, Corps Welfare and Inspectorate, while speaking to newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
The Welfare Director noted that the redeploymend of the corps member after he was assaulted by the police while carrying out his national assignment was highly frowned upon by the scheme.
Recall that the news of the alleged brutality which went viral reported that the corps member was assaulted by men of the Nigerian police for punishing a student who happens to be from an influential home.
Report indicated that the corps member had punished the ward by asking her to go on her knees.
The NYSC welfare Director further revealed that after the scheme had conducted proper investigation into the matter, it came about the resolution of the immediate withdrawal of 11 other corps members who were serving along with the affected Uwakwe at Nasara Standard Academy, Gusau.
She further stated that the corps members have been posted to other establishments to complete their on program.
She said: “On Wednesday last week we got information from Zamfara state that a corps member was beaten by the police, arrested, detained and later released.
“When we got this information I had to speak to the state coordinator to investigate the matter thoroughly. From our investigations, the corps member had a problem in the school he was posted to serve.
“He came into the class and said he was going to give the students a test asking them to put their books away and get ready but that this student was not just cooperative.
“In the process of doing the test she hissed and he asked why she will hiss in the class because it was a rude behaviour but she had nothing to say after a while she hissed again and he went to her to ask why again.
“The next thing he saw written on her script was `Nonsense Tes’. That got him infuriated and he asked the student if the questions he set were out of what he had taught them.
“The girl will not answer so he instructed her to kneel down. In the process he asked her to crawl with her knees and after that he left; later he came to look for the girl and she was no where to be found.
“The girl went home, spoke to her father and he went to the police. The corps member was in the staff room when he was called that he was needed in the principal’s office.
“When he got there he was asked to go with the police but he declined stating that he was just doing his job but he later agreed to go to the police station if the principal will go with him.
“He went with the principal to the police station and in the station he was slapped and detained for six hours.”