VIDEO: Nigerian Army Personnel Assault Corps Member Who Trekked For 24 Days From Ondo To Abuja To See Tinubu, NYSC Keeps Mum On Whereabouts.
A corps member, Abel Tardoo Nathaniel, who embarked on a trek from Ore Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State to deliver a message to President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Abuja after which he was manhandled and arrested by some Nigerian Army personnel on the alleged orders of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
SaharaReporters learnt that the corps member commenced the journey on Friday, December 15, 2023 and arrived in Abuja on Monday January 8, wielding a placard and the National flag.
Meanwhile, on his arrival at the nation’s capital, some officials of National Youth Service Corps alongside some soldiers confronted and harassed him, forcing him to stop a live streaming of his trek, as they also seized his mobile phone.
Investigation revealed that the soldiers ambushed him along Dutse Expressway near Kubwa, where he was also picked up. In the live stream video obtained by SaharaReporters, a soldier was seen harassing and dragging the corps member in an attempt to forcefully collect his mobile phone and the national flag and stop him from staying online.
Nathaniel could be heard saying “I just want to pass a message, except you want to take me with force. So let me complete what I started.” While responding to a question asked by one of the officials if he informed the NYSC about his trek, Nathaniel said nobody was aware of his plan, including the media. “Nobody is even aware; including the media and that is why I am doing this just to pass a message.
Let me just go there and let the President tell me he doesn’t want to hear from me and I will go back. You are telling them to come and carry me with force and you know I am already on a live stream. Oga you want to use force? Oga you want to spoil my phone. People are watching you,” he protested. SaharaReporters could not yet verify the mission of the corps member who planned to trek to the Aso Rock Villa to visit President Tinubu, but he was eventually forced into the vehicle after they dispossessed him of his phone, placards and flag and whisked him to the NYSC Headquarters located in Maitama.
Nathaniel had insisted that the decision to trek to Abuja was an adventure for him and also to make history. SaharaReporters gathered that the NYSC management was not comfortable with Nathaniel meeting with the president as he also refused to disclose the message he wanted to deliver to the President.
Meanwhile as of the time of filing this report, Nathaniel’s whereabouts is still unknown since he was taken into custody by NYSC officials. Recall that Nathaniel had written on his Facebook page shortly after he had embarked on the journey.
He wrote, “????’???????? ????????????u???? ???? ???????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????, ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????????, ????????????????????, ????’???? ???????? ???????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????, ???????????????????????????????? ????????’???? ???? ???????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????? , ???????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????? ????????????, ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????????, ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????? ???? ???????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????
“ ????’???????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????, ???????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????… ???????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ????????????, ???????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????? ???? ????????????????????????????, ???????????????? ????????…???????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????”#fearlesscorp
Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach the Director of Press, Eddy Megwa, for reaction proved abortive as repeated calls to his mobile phones were not answered.