House Seeks Honour for Slain Corps Member


House of Representatives yesterday voted in favour of a motion seeking leave of the Federal Government to confer post humous national honours on a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Miss Grace Adie Ushang, who lost her life while on the compulsory one-year national service .

The lawmakers also urged the Inspector General of Police to promptly investigate, identify and arrest those persons behind the dastard act with a view to bringing them to face the wrath of the law.
The House resolution came on a day the pan Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, also called on the Federal Government to investigate Ushang's death.

Afenifere leader,Chief Reuben Fasoranti, in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, said the presidency should look into the incident by ensuring the speedy arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. He warned that the perpetrators of the crime must not be treated with kid gloves.

The deceased corper died after she was allegedly attacked, raped and murdered by some yet-to-be -identified hoodlums in the neighbourhood of her place of primary assignment in Borno state.
The House witnessed cries of outrage, lamentations and condemnations as Honourable Paul Adah (PDP Cross River) narrated the gruesome story of the young Nigerian cut down in her prime.

Adah who represents Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwarra Federal Constituency said Ushang who was serving at the El-Kanemi College of Business Administration (ECOBA), Borno state, was murdered on September 27, 2009. Ushang, 25 hailed from Obudu, Cross River state and was a graduate of Education Administration from the University of Calabar.
According to the lawmaker, the late Ushang met her death at about 6.30 pm after she left the corpers’ lodge around the Nigeria Customs area, presumably on an evening stroll within the neighbourhood.

Her corpse was later found at about 8.00 pm near the riverside.Preliminary investigations indicated that her assailants might have attacked her on the ground that she was wearing a pair of khaki trousers, the official uniform of the NYSC, which is considered as indecent dressing in the predominantly muslim community.

A medical report confirmed that the deceased was physically assaulted and sustained grievous injuries and in the process met her untimely death.Capital Flight: 'How Nigeria Lost N102bn to