Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-General Maharazu Tsiga
The five corps members kidnapped in Rivers State on June 7: Mr. Olumide Yusuf, Mrs. Funmilayo Fase, Chinonye Ejiogu, Nkechi Nweze and Vivian Okwuanya, on Sunday night regained their freedom, after spending 13 days in the kidnappers’ den in the Niger Delta.

The youths were immediately handed over to the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-General Maharazu Tsiga, in good state of health and moved to Abuja for medical examination at the National Hospital.
Tsiga relocated to Rivers state, shortly after the kidnap, and was coordinating the rescue efforts, along with the Rivers Coordinator of the NYSC, Mrs. Esther Wogbo; the police; military and operatives of the State Security Service (SSS).
It could not be confirmed as at press time, if ransom was paid by the government, as demanded by the kidnappers, before the youths, who belong to the 2010 Batch ‘B’ of the NYSC, but could not pass out like their colleagues last Thursday, were set free.
The kidnappers, last Wednesday, reduced the N100 million ransom earlier demanded to N10 million, as confirmed by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr. Suleiman Abba, but the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, insisted that he would never negotiate with criminals.
The Rivers police Spokesman, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, Monday confirmed the release of the five corps members, but was silent on whether ransom was paid or not.
Ugwuegbulam said: “Police SOS (Swift Operation Squad) and Anti-Kidnapping Teams, supported by the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) of Omoku (headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of Rivers state) made efforts to rescue the mother of Chief Okoroma, kidnapped on June 17, 2011, at Obrikom.
“The efforts, not only led to the rescue of the old woman around 3 pm on June 19 at Ama, Omoku, it also added to the pressure sustained on the kidnappers of the corpers by the police, the SSS and the military.
“Around 7:30 pm on June 19, the five kidnapped corpers were sighted and rescued by mobile policemen, conducting stop and search at Omerenu, along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road. The victims have been handed over to the highly delighted Director-General of the NYSC, Brig-General Maharazu Tsiga, in good state of health. Investigation to arrest the culprits continues.”

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