by Oge Okonkwo

Two female National Youth Service Corps members, Amarachi Okey Winifred, a Batch C corps member and her friend, a fresh batch B corps member who recently left camp, were recently burnt beyond recognition by one of the victim’s boyfriend last month.

The victims, both serving  in Community Secondary school Iddo in Asari-Toru LGA of Rivers State, were said to be locked in after he had poured fuel and then set the room on fire.

The incident was first reported on July 19, but the name of the other corps member could not be ascertained at the time of the report. The attackers were initially thought to be some community boys and students in their place of primary assignment (ppa) but the story turned out to be different.

Reports say:

It turned out that Winifred was burned by her boyfriend because he felt she was cheating on him with a fellow corps member. A corper who stayed in the same hostel with Winnie in camp related the events.

“He thought she would be the only one in the room, he locked the door from outside, put petrol and lit the fire. Unfortunately, a friend of Winifred was also in the room. She’s a Batch B corps member who just left camp some weeks ago. But, unfortunately for the boyfriend, he burnt his hands in the process. That was how he was identified and caught.”

“In camp she was always scared whenever he called and she missed it and all.”

After the incident, the victims were both taken to the Intensive care unit (ICU) of UNIPORT Teaching Hospital due to the critical nature of the burns. The victims did not survive the burns. Winifred died on the morning of July 31. The perpetrator however, has since been caught by the police.