By Folasade Akpan
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, says the scheme is intensifying measures to safeguard corps members nationwide.
Nafiu disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, while addressing concerns over security, kidnapping and welfare of corps members.
He described security as a national challenge, noting that NYSC operated within a broader system and relied on statutory security agencies for intelligence and protection.
“We are not a security agency, but we work closely with the police, military and intelligence community to ensure our corps members are safe,” he said.
According to him, the scheme maintains constant engagement with security agencies, especially during orientation exercises when large numbers of corps members are mobilised across the country.
He said security agencies were formally notified ahead of orientation programmes, with camps reinforced and personnel deployed to provide adequate protection.
Nafiu added that in some cases, corps members travelling to orientation camps were escorted by security operatives along designated routes to ensure safe passage.
“You may be interested to know that in some locations, corps members are escorted by troops because authorities are aware of their movement,” he said.
The director-general said the scheme also adopted preventive measures, including relocating orientation camps from areas considered vulnerable to security threats.
He said in 2025, NYSC relocated camps in Kwara and Kebbi states as part of proactive efforts to enhance safety.
“We do not deploy corps members to places where we do not have our own staff presence or where security reports are unfavourable,” he said.
Nafiu acknowledged public concerns over kidnapping incidents involving young Nigerians, including former corps members, saying such cases were often misunderstood.
He clarified that a widely reported kidnapping case involved an ex-corps member who had completed service more than two years before the incident.
“We verified from our records that the individual served between 2022 and 2023 and was no longer under the scheme at the time,” he said.
Nafiu said in spite of such clarifications, the scheme remained sensitive to public perception and the emotional toll on affected families.
He said NYSC continued to adopt proactive strategies to mitigate risks, including sustained sensitisation of corps members on personal security.
The director-general advised prospective corps members and corps members to adhere strictly to travel advisories, particularly avoiding night journeys across the country.
“They should break their journeys once it is 6 p.m. and pass the night at safe locations such as military formations, police stations or NYSC facilities,” he said.
Nafiu urged corps members to maintain regular communication with trusted family members while travelling, rather than sharing their movements on social media.
“They should update a trusted person regularly about their location for safety purposes, instead of exposing themselves online,” he said.
He also dismissed reports alleging that NYSC compelled corps members to sign undertakings absolving the scheme of responsibility for their safety.
According to him, such claims are false, misleading and unsupported by any official documentation within the scheme.
“There is no such policy; if it existed, corps members would have shared evidence widely, but there is nothing like that,” he said.
Nafiu said NYSC prioritised the welfare of corps members through provisions such as health insurance and medical support under government-backed schemes.
