The Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps in Ogun State, Mrs. Olayinka Nasamu, said on Wednesday that the agency knows nothing about the hit-and-run driver who killed a student from Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, Aiyepe Annexe, Pelumi David Idowu, and a motorcyclist last week Monday.
The accident occurred in front of the NYSC Orientation Camp along Sagamu-Ikenne road.
Mrs. Nasamu said, “The allegations are baseless, unfounded, and figments of the imagination of the students’ bodies.”
The accident happened when a fleeing driver hit the motorcyclist carrying Idowu from behind, killing both on the spot. Students in Ogun State, under the National Association of Nigerian Students and the National Association of Ogun State Students, protested the death on Tuesday, accusing NYSC of covering up for the driver.
The protesting students claimed that the driver was Ojo Aina, an NYSC official, who ran into the orientation camp after the incident. However, Mrs. Nasamu denied these claims, saying, “As a mother and head of a federal government agency that prioritises the security and development of the Nigerian youth, I could not have supported anything to obstruct the path of justice.”
She explained that security reports from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police have cleared the NYSC of any wrongdoing. “Even the management of the Polytechnic led by the Rector and the Students Union President visited my office to apologize for the wrong accusation,” she added.
Mrs. Nasamu also clarified that the Polytechnic’s student body has distanced itself from the group that staged the protest at the Ogun Police headquarters. “They have issued a statement to distance themselves from such a less noble act,” she said.
Regarding Ojo Aina, Mrs. Nasamu stated, “He is indeed a staff of the agency but was only called upon after the accident happened. He drove his car to the gate from inside the camp to attend to the incident, only for the students to jump on him as the driver of the car which killed the deceased.”
She continued, “First and foremost, I want to extend my condolences, on behalf of the NYSC as a responsible organization and myself as a mother, to the families of the victims affected by this unfortunate incident. May they find strength and comfort in this difficult time. We also condole with the Student Union Government (SUG) and the entire Gateway Polytechnic community.
“After a thorough investigation conducted by the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force in Ogun State, I am pleased to inform you that the NYSC has been cleared of any wrongdoing in this matter.”
Mrs. Nasamu mentioned that the Polytechnic’s Student Union President, Rector, and Dean of Student Affairs have acknowledged their mistake and formally apologized for the wrongful accusations against NYSC. “They have committed to issuing a public rejoinder to address and correct the damaging story circulating in the media space,” she noted.
She concluded, “We have the official reports from the DSS and the press release from the Student Union President for your reference.”
