Corp member dies after drill in Borno NYSC camp

A female corps member (name withheld) has reportedly died after an evening drill at the Nigeria Youth Service Corps temporary orientation camp in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Our correspondent gathered that the deceased corps member died on Monday evening.

Confirming the incident exclusively to Arewa PUNCH, the state NYSC Coordinator,  Nasir Bello, said the deceased corps member reported to the camp with an underlying ailment, and was confirmed dead at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital

He clarified that the corps member did not pass on during the drills.

Bello insisted, “She died in the teaching hospital, not during drills. She reported to camp, and unfortunately, she has an underlying ailment.”

When asked about the nature of the ailment, the state coordinator said he was not in a position to disclose it.

“You can go to a teaching hospital to find out and ask the doctor. It is not in my position to disclose that,” he stated.

He added, “The CM did not participate in any camp activity since her arrival because she wasn’t well. Even during her registration exercise, she was assisted by the clinic officers,” he further defended.

However, sources familiar with the incident within the camp told Arewa PUNCH that the now deceased corps member collapsed after Monday evening’s drills before she was rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

A top security official within the camp, who also spoke exclusively to Arewa PUNCH, said the deceased corps member collapsed on Monday evening at her hostel within the camp before she was rushed to the hospital.

“We had a successful drill that day, and nobody fell during the exercise to the best of my knowledge. But in the evening, the lady collapsed. Maybe it was due to the exercise. She was rushed to the camp clinic. From there, she was taken to the hospital in town, where she was confirmed dead,” the source who sought anonymity for fear of being victimised in the camp narrated.

Another source, yet a serving corps member, informed Arewa PUNCH that the lady was a diabetic patient.

“In our evening devotion yesterday (Tuesday) at the Nigerian Christian Corps Fellowship house, it was announced that the corps member was rushed to the clinic after she collapsed. Unfortunately, she later died,” the source said.

The source added, “I learnt she is a diabetic patient. Her drugs were seized at the gate when she was coming in. She has not been taking her drugs according to what we heard from her friends,” she explained.