Another survivor of the River Mayo-Selbe disaster, Fidelis Ogbe, told Vanguard at
a private clinic where he was receiving treatment: “I am sorry I cannot
speak because we must follow orders. Besides, I can’t really say much
because I was inside the river for some time, before I miraculously came
out.
“It is only those outside that can really talk more about what happened.”
Meanwhile, following the death of the nine corps members at River
Mayo-Selbe, near Gashaka Local Government Area of Taraba State, NYSC
Director General, Brigadier General Suleiman Kazaure, yesterday,
outlawed night parties and social events by corps members across the
country.
Addressing corps members in Ikare-Akoko, Akure, Ondo State yesterday,
Brigadier General Kazaure, however, said approval from appropriate
authorities in each state would be granted if any such social event must
hold.
“All social events must not hold without approvals,” Kazaure stressed.
He noted that NYSC was “devastated with the sad occurrence in Taraba
State. I am sure you are aware we lost nine corps members in Taraba;
they were 2018 Batch A corps members.
“Whenever you are going to embark on any social outings, you must
seek clearance from NYSC officials; either the Local Government
Inspectors or the state coordinator. That is my directive.”
Kazaure reiterated the commitment of the scheme to the security and welfare of corps members nationwide.
Earlier, Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Grace Akpabio, said the
Director-General’s visit will further boost the morale of staff and the
corps members in the state.
Ogbe’s fine—Doctor
Owner of the clinic where one of the survivors, Ogbe, was being treated for bruises, Umar Musa Isa, told Vanguard Ogbe sustained injuries on the knee.
Isa noted that he (Ogbe) was feeling much better and only stopped by to appreciate him and complete some of his injections.
Similarly, Vanguard gathered from a friend who one of the
survivors confided in, that he narrowly escaped death by chance, after
he was trapped by a rock. According to the friend, “he spent about two hours fighting for his
life. His wallet and trouser were swept away by the rampaging water and
eventually surfaced by divine intervention.
“Though he had some injuries, but we are happy he is fine and he is still here with us.”
The saving rock
A friend of another survivor referred to as Mama, told Vanguard that the disaster occurred five minutes after Mama left the river for its bank. The source said: “Mama was also on the rock inside the river, but
decided to go and send some pictures taken from one of the deceased’s
phone (Chike) to hers. That was her saving grace.
“She was barely five minutes out of the water when heavy water
overran those inside the river. There was one big rock inside the river,
where about four other survivors were standing. But because the rock
was higher than the waves of the water, those four were not swept off.”
If only I knew of the picnic—School principal
Meanwhile, the Principal of Elly Demonstration Academy, where two of
the nine drowned corps members were doing their primary assignments,
Aliyu Abdullahi, while lamenting the demise of his teachers (corps
members), said he would have prevented them from embarking on the picnic
if he had prior knowledge of their plans.
Abdullahi, who spoke to Vanguard yesterday in Serti,
headquarters of Gashaka Local Government Area, revealed that the group
used the legislative council bus of the local government for the trip.
He said: “They informed the clerk they were going to see a waterfall
and would need the bus which was why it was released, not knowing they
were actually going to the river for a picnic.
“That Saturday morning, I saw one of the participants, Fidelis Ogbe,
who sustained some injuries on his way from church, where he had gone
for cleaning. But he never mentioned anything about the trip.
“If I had by chance heard of their trip to Mayo-Selbe River, I would
have prevented them from going, because the river is actually dangerous
in the raining season.”
Abdullahi, who only gave the first names of corps members working
with him as Arinze and Ifeanyi, lamented that one of them was still
missing and being searched for by divers. He said he discovered the Corps Liaison Officer was also not informed about the trip when he inquired from her.
Meanwhile, Deputy Overseer of all the rivers in Gashaka council, Ahmadu Jalo, told Vanguard all divers would from today comb all rivers for the two missing persons. According to him, “the Emir has directed that all divers embark on
thorough search of all the rivers in Gashaka for the two missing
persons. We are being joined by some security agencies and hopefully we
will succeed in this new task.” He noted that seven bodies, four females and three males, had so far being recovered.
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