The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has demanded an urgent investigation into the operations of UDUA KING Transport Service following the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling in two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.
According to the students’ association, a probe into the activities of the transport company is necessary to establish exactly what transpired and determine whether there was any compromise of the victims’ safety.
In a statement issued by its President, Akinteye Afeez, on Monday, the association said its demand followed disturbing information it received regarding the abduction of the NYSC members along their route.
Afeez said the two buses conveying the corps members were reportedly travelling in convoy when they reached the location where the incident occurred.
According to him, one of the drivers allegedly stopped, claiming that he wanted to give money to someone on the other side of the road, after which the second bus stopped alongside it.
He further alleged that armed men emerged from a nearby bush and abducted the corps members after the vehicles stopped at the location.
The NANS president expressed concern that neither of the two drivers was abducted, while the kidnappers were allegedly already positioned around the location where the buses stopped.
“Of particular concern is the information that none of the two drivers was reportedly abducted, while the kidnappers were allegedly already positioned around the location where the buses stopped. These circumstances raise serious questions that require urgent and transparent investigation,” he stated.
Afeez, however, stressed that NANS was not in a position to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident or attribute responsibility to any individual or transport company.
“We therefore call on the relevant security agencies and government authorities to urgently investigate the operations of UDUA KING Transport Service in connection with this incident, and where necessary, suspend its operations pending the conclusion of the investigation, in order to establish exactly what transpired,” he stated.
As a precautionary measure, NANS advised students and other travellers to exercise extreme caution and consider avoiding UDUA KING Transport Service pending clarification of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The association said it was particularly concerned about the safety of Nigerian students and young people who travel across the country daily.
It urged relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and hold accountable anyone found to have compromised the safety of the victims.
NANS added that the families of the victims, the NYSC community and Nigerians deserved nothing less than a transparent investigation.