Suleja NYSC members died as martyrs —President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday described members of the National Youth Service Corps who died in a bomb explosion that rocked the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Suleja, Niger State, as martyrs.

Jonathan spoke at his Otuoke hometown, Bayelsa State, immediately after casting his vote for the National Assembly election at Otazi Playground Polling Unit in Otuabula Ward 13.

Before casting his vote, the President emerged from his home escorted by retinue of security officials and accompanied by his wife, Patience, to the polling unit at about 9.25am.

On the bomb blast that killed youth corps members, he described the incident as unfortunate and said those who lost their lives in the dastardly act would be recognised.

He commiserated with the families of the victims and said government would do something to compensate them, adding that the deceased died while serving their fatherland.

He referred to the perpetrators of the incident as anti-social elements that were on a mission to derail the voting process.

He, however, said that such unscrupulous elements would not succeed in their mission, adding that the elections would definitely be conducted.

He asked the corps members not to be deterred by the incident but rather to consider it as one of the hazards of rendering service to the country.

The President said security officials and journalists face similar kind of risks, while serving their country appealing to the youth corps members not to pull out of the exercise because of the incident.

The president said the perpetrators of the heinous crime would not go unpunished as security officials had started combing the Suleja area to fish them out.

He recalled that similar incident happened during a rally organised in the area by the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said the act was the handiwork of a cell of anti-social elements who seemed to have turned the town to their operational base.

He said, “There are some anti-social elements that want to derail the process of voting. But they will not succeed. We will definitely conduct our elections. We are happy that corps members are the ones used for elections. They should not be discouraged. They should view the Suleja incident as part of the hazards we all face everyday while doing our work.

By Mike Odiegwu The Punch Newspapers