The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has confirmed the brutalisation of a corps members who served as an ad-hoc staff the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, during Saturday’s election in Abuja.
The Scheme’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Eddy Megwa, in a seven-paragraph statement, noted that upon receipt of the information, security teams were immediately deployed to investigate the attack.
According to him, the corps member was attacked by an angry mob for allegedly thumb-printing ballot papers in favour of one of the presidential aspirants.
He, however, stated that findings indicated that the act of brutalisation was a case of mistaken identity.
Nevertheless, Megwa warned that the NYSC management would not shield any corps member who runs foul of Electorial Act in the course of elections duty.
He said, “Indeed, a Corps Member deployed to LEA primary school, Lugbe (Abuja) as INEC ad-hoc staff was brutalised by angry mob on the suspicion that he was involved in the act of thumbprinting ballot papers in favour of one of the presidential aspirants.
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“To put issues in proper perspective, the brutalisation of the Corps Member was a case of mistaken identity. This was made known after investigation by the security agencies. In any case, the management of the scheme will not shield any Corps Member that runs foul of the electorial act if found guilty.
“It is imperative to clarify that the Corps Member was not part of the criminal gang involved in the said act.
“Gratifyingly, the culprits who are neither Corps Members nor officials of the National Youth Service Corps have been apprehended by the Police. The brutalised Corps Member did not die as reported but recuperating after treatment at the hospital.
“The Scheme therefore wishes to call on Nigerians to exercise restraint on issues that concern Corps Members and other electorial officers on national assignment during the general elections.
“Management wishes to once again admonish Corps Members participating in the conduct of the general elections to ensure the highest degree of neutrality and discipline in their approach to the national assignment, as membership of the Corps cannot prevent them from prosecution if there is infraction to the Electoral Act.”
