NAS warns on NYSC safety, urging urgent reform of deployment system as rising insecurity threatens young graduates nationwide

The National Association of Seadogs has raised serious concerns over the safety of young Nigerians participating in the National Youth Service Corps, calling for urgent reforms to the deployment system amid escalating insecurity across the country.

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In a statement issued yesterday, the NAS Cap’n, Dr. Joseph Oteri, highlighted that what was once a unifying national programme now carries significant risks for fresh graduates.

Dr. Oteri stressed that the NYSC, established in 1973 to foster national cohesion after the civil war, must no longer place lives in jeopardy. “National unity should never come at the cost of the lives and safety of Nigeria’s young graduates,” he said.

The association cited rising incidents of kidnapping, banditry, and violent attacks along routes to orientation camps and primary assignment postings.

Highways once deemed routine are now perilous, putting corps members among the most vulnerable Nigerians.

Recent reports, including the abduction of a prospective corps member en route to Sokoto, alongside prior incidents in Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory, underscore that the threats are increasingly widespread and recurring.

While dismissing viral claims that families are officially required to pay ransom, NAS noted that the narratives reflect deep anxiety and diminished confidence in the scheme.

In its recommendations, the association called for an immediate halt to postings in high-risk states, specifically naming Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, and Niger, and urged a “security-first” approach to deployment decisions.

Other proposed measures include embedding real-time risk assessments, allowing corps members to serve in safer or closer regions, improving coordinated travel logistics, expanding insurance coverage, and establishing rapid emergency response systems.

“The safety of corps members must be treated as a national priority,” Oteri emphasised.

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While affirming the NYSC’s value in promoting national development, the association warned that the programme must adapt to evolving security realities or risk failing the very citizens it was created to serve.