Pressure is mounting on the administration of to discontinue the (NYSC) amid rising insecurity across the country, with parents, civil society groups and concerned citizens warning that the programme has become increasingly dangerous for young graduates.
The growing outcry follows a series of reported kidnappings, killings and violent attacks involving corps members deployed to various parts of Nigeria.
Haruna Danjuma, National President of the Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria, voiced deep concern over the safety of participants, insisting that the Federal Government must either guarantee adequate protection or suspend the scheme.
“It is painful to lose a child,” Danjuma said, noting that parents invest years in raising and educating their children only to face the risk of losing them during the mandatory service year.
He stressed that the government bears full responsibility for the welfare of corps members, adding that state governments and security agencies should be required to formally guarantee their safety before any deployment.
“If the government cannot protect these children, then the NYSC should be scrapped because its value is already defeated,” he said.
Echoing similar concerns, Isa Sanusi, Executive Director of , described the fears of parents as justified, criticising the handling of security incidents involving corps members.
“There is no justification for a situation where families are left to negotiate ransom payments after their children are deployed by the state,” Sanusi said, adding that NYSC authorities must take full responsibility for participants’ safety throughout the service year.
The renewed debate was triggered by the abduction of a corps member, Musa Abba, a graduate of the Federal University Gusau, who was kidnapped while travelling to Sokoto to commence his service.
Reports indicate that he was assaulted by his captors after his family failed to meet a N10 million ransom demand.
In a related development, a Nigerian professional, Dr. Opadonu Moses Olufemi, has petitioned the National Assembly, urging urgent legislative intervention to address the worsening security risks facing corps members.
The petition, addressed to both chambers of the legislature, calls for a comprehensive review of the NYSC framework in light of prevailing security challenges.
Among the proposals are a temporary suspension of interstate deployment, decentralisation of orientation camps, and the posting of corps members within their home states or nearby regions to reduce exposure to dangerous travel routes.
The petition also recommends the introduction of comprehensive insurance coverage, including life, health and kidnapping protection, as well as the review of any policy that shifts security or ransom responsibilities to parents.
Dr. Opadonu warned that compulsory national service without adequate safeguards places families under severe emotional and financial strain, while eroding public trust in national institutions.
He further urged lawmakers to initiate a full legislative inquiry into the operations of the NYSC, stressing that the safety and dignity of Nigerian youths must take precedence.
“The nation’s future leaders must not be exposed to avoidable danger in the name of unity,” the petition stated, calling for swift and decisive reforms to align the scheme with Nigeria’s current security realities.
