Nine members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Taraba, drowned in a river on Saturday.
According to the spokesman of the police command in the state, David Missal, the corps members were swimming in the river during a picnic party when, suddenly, there was an increase in the volume of water in the river – Mayo Celbe.
“Information available at our disposal reveals that 22 Youth Corps members serving in the state were on a picnic party in River Mayo-Selbe in Gashaka LGA on Saturday when the incident happened,” he said.
“We were made to understand that while they were swimming, there was a sudden increase in the volume of water which carried nine of them away.
“We have so far recovered seven corpses while the search for the two remaining corpses is still in progress.”
Taraba State NYSC coordinator, Mrs. Florence Yaakugh, has confirmed the incident.
He said, “We have information indicating that about nine of our Corps members were drowned in Gashaka on Saturday.
“So far, seven bodies have been recovered and we are working with other relevant persons to recover the rest and to identify the persons.
“This is a very sad development and the entire NYSC family in Taraba state is already thrown into deep mourning.”
