Young Corper Laid to Rest in Enugu After Maiduguri Bomb Horror

ENUGU – Tears flowed freely in Udi, Enugu State, yesterday as the remains of 26-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member Chidiebere Orji were laid to rest in his hometown, just days after a devastating bomb blast in Maiduguri snatched his young life.

Orji, a batch B Stream 1 corps member deployed to Borno State, was among at least 21 worshippers killed when suicide bombers struck during evening prayers at a mosque in the Ajilari-Gogaram area of Maiduguri on Tuesday, March 23. The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an affiliate of Boko Haram, claimed responsibility for the attack, which injured dozens more and reignited fears of escalating insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast.

Eyewitnesses described the chaos: two female bombers detonated their explosives inside the crowded mosque, reducing the building to rubble and leaving bodies strewn across the prayer ground. Orji, who hailed from Udi Local Government Area in Enugu, had been serving at a primary healthcare centre in Maiduguri as part of his mandatory one-year national service. Friends and family recalled him as a vibrant, God-fearing young man pursuing a career in healthcare after his studies.

The funeral, which drew hundreds including NYSC officials, local politicians, and community leaders, took place at his family’s compound in Udi. A moving service led by the Catholic Church featured eulogies highlighting Orji’s dedication and dreams cut short. His mother, visibly distraught, collapsed during the procession, wailing, “My son, why?” as his casket was lowered into the earth amid dirges and prayers.

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NYSC Director-General, Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, represented by the Enugu State Coordinator, extended condolences, vowing support for affected families. “Chidiebere’s sacrifice reminds us of the risks our corps members face in service to fatherland,” Nafiu said in a statement. Enugu Governor Peter Mbah also mourned the loss, directing state agencies to assist the family.

The Maiduguri attack marks a grim spike in violence, with ISWAP targeting soft spots like places of worship amid renewed offensives. Security experts urge heightened vigilance, while rights groups decry the human cost on civilians, including corps members posted to volatile zones.

Orji’s death has sparked online outrage, with #JusticeForChidiebere trending and calls for corps members’ redeployment from high-risk areas. As Enugu heals, his story underscores the fragile line between duty and danger in Nigeria’s troubled north.