Posted on: 03:05 Wed, 16 Dec 2015



The end-of-camping parade for the 2015
Batch B stream two National Youth
Service Corp, (NYSC) members deployed
to Ebonyi State was Wednesday put off
following a bomb scare at the camp
ground.

The parade was scheduled for the Old
McGregor College orientation camp
Afikpo, Afikpo North Local
Government Area of the state.

But there was then panic and tension
at the camp ground when security
operatives raised the alarm of
suspected explosive device in the
orientation camp which prompted
corps members and officials of the
scheme to scamper for safety.

The security operative attached to the
camp ground combed the hostels of
the corp members looking for a
possible place the device was hidden.

A corps member said apprehension
heightened in camp when some
unknown faces were seen coming into
the camp ground during the camp
fire night.

Following reports by some corps
members that unknown faces were
seen entering Aso Rock Hostel, the
security operatives had to searched
thoroughly for the device in the
hostels.

As panic spread at the camp ground,
the leadership of the scheme
hurriedly distributed posting letters
to corps members to proceed to their
places of primary assignments.

Police spokesperson for the state,
George Okafor, who confirmed the
development, said the camp ground
was safe as no bomb device was
found by the anti-bomb squad
deployed to the orientation camp.

He disclosed that a cable was found
which he said was being screened by
the anti-bomb squad.

He added that security had been
beefed up in camp ahead of the
posting of another batch of corp
members to the state.

The Chairman of NYSC governing
board, who is also the Ebonyi State
Commissioner for Sports, Charles
Akpuenika, said he got a call from a
security agency in the state alerting
him on the bomb scare.

He said he immediately alerted
Governor Dave Umahi who ordered
that the terminal parade be called off.
Mr. Akpuenika said, “I got a call from
a security agency in the state that
briefed me on what was happening at
the camp ground and the panic the
bomb scare created among corps
members”.

“I immediately placed a call to the
Governor, he ordered that the
terminal parade be called off. The
governor is so interested in the safety
of every Ebonyi indigene and visitors
to the state. He would not desire that
anybody be hurt and that was why it
was called off.

“Actually, from the information I got
from the security agency, a cable
allegedly usually used to construct
bomb was discovered by the security
agency at the camp ground.

“The cable has been taken by the
anti-bomb squad and I believe that
they would be in a better position to
inform us if the cable was actually
intended to be used by some
miscreants to construct bomb in the
area.

“Ebonyi is a safe ground for visitors,
there has never been any fear of
terror attack in the state and we
don’t hope to have one. People should
feel free to come to the state and
there security is assured.”