The National Youth Service Corps on Monday confirmed the abduction of a male corps member, Abraham Amuta, by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Borno State Coordinator, Mr. Rabiu Aminu, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Maiduguri.

Aminu disclosed that the corps member was abducted alongside a pastor with the Living Faith Church, simply identified as Oyeleke, in an attack coordinated by the insurgents against motorists on Maiduguri-Chibok road on April 10.  He disclosed that the corps member with Registration Number: BO18b/067; was deployed to Borno State Council of Arts and Culture, located in Maiduguri.

The coordinator lamented that the corps member was abducted while travelling together with his pastor and other members of the church.

“The church claimed that the corps member was abducted alongside his pastor.

“NYSC deploys corps members to only four of the 27 local government areas in the state. The councils are: Jere, Bayo, Biu and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.

“For any corps member to travel, he has to apply through proper channel and this involves formal request from his employer, through the zonal inspector and then channeled to the state coordinator, where we look at it, endorse or approve the request.

“It was unfortunate that the said corps member traveled on his own; we have been having sleepless nights over the issue, because he is under our custody.

“We visited the Church, and the Commissioner of Police called us on Friday over the incident and assured us of their total support to address the situation,” he said.

Aminu sympathised with families of the abducted corps member and called on Nigerians to pray for his release from the insurgents’ captivity.