Four prospective corps members travelling to Zamfara state for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp, have been kidnapped around Funtua in Katsina State.

According to reports, the victims, three male and a female, and some other graduates from Rufus Giwa Polytechnic had chartered a bus from Owo, Ondo State to the Zamfara state campground where they were posted to.

However as their bus driver passed through Funtua in Katsina state, armed men suspected to be kidnappers, barricaded the road and attacked them.

While the driver and some other students fled, four of the students were kidnapped and have been taken to an unknown destination.

“The graduated students chartered a bus from Owo to Zamfara State where they were posted for NYSC. The bus was to take them directly to the camp. Their families last heard from them around 4 pm on Monday when they got to Zaria only for Tolu to call Tuesday morning that kidnappers attacked them and took four persons. No ransom has been demanded yet but the kidnappers have contacted some of the parents but because they were speaking Hausa, there wasn’t much communication.

“We are appealing to security agencies to rescue these children safely and the government has to direct NYSC to reconsider posting prospective corps members to areas their lives will be endangered’‘ a source said.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force, DCP Frank Mba, said

“It is true. Four of them were kidnapped around 11:30 pm. The command has launched a manhunt for their captors in order to ensure their safe rescue. The command is making progress in its investigation and operation.”

The NYSC orientation camp opened for prospective corps members on Tuesday, March 10th.