A female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member posted to the Obuah community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Miss. Folakemi Akinbode, was Tuesday attacked by suspected cultists, who severed her hand with machete.
The attack on Akinbode, a 26-year-old Ondo State indigene and Batch 'A' corps member, came barely a few month after several thousands ofyouths in the state claimed to have renounced cultism in order to benefit from the amnesty on cultists and cultism declared by Governor Seriake Dickson.
The renouncement followed a law in the state, which made cultism an offence punishable by death.
Akinbode, who is a graduate of Nursing from the Madonna University, Elele, in Rivers State, was attacked at about 8.30.p.m, while returning to the Corpers’ Lodge, nearthe Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobori, near Yenagoa.
The corps member was posted to the university teaching hospital for her placeof primary assignment (PPA).
THISDAY gathered that she was attacked by two machete-wielding young men, who aftersevering her hand, fled on a commercial motorcycle.
Though nothing was collected from her, she was, however, said to be receiving treatment at the intensive care unit ofthe teaching hospital.
At the state headquarters of the NYSC in Yenagoa, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Pius Iyama, declined comment, when THISDAY met him.
But confirming the incident, the paramount ruler of the community, the Ibolou XI of Obunagha, H.R.H Godsgive Apoh, condemned the incident and said he had summoned an emergency youth meeting of the Youth Vigilante Association to investigate and apprehend those involved in the attack.
When contacted on the development, thestate Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Alex Akhigbe, said though no arrest had been made, "the operatives of the command had been deployed to track down the attackers."
