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Safety Risks – The Grim Reality of Corps Member Security
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), once designed to be a bridge for fostering unity and development across Nigeria’s diverse regions, is now fraught with peril. As security deteriorates in various parts of the country, corps members have become unwilling frontline victims; easy targets of terrorism, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. In many parts of the country, especially conflict-prone states in the North and volatile regions of the South, deployment through the NYSC has become less of a national call to service and more of a life-threatening gamble.
In recent years, numerous verified cases have emerged that expose the fatal consequences of NYSC’s deployment policies. Between 2018 and 2024, at least 83 corps members were kidnapped nationwide. Reports by national dailies such as Premium Times and The Guardian indicate that these abductions often involve demands for ransoms ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦10 million, with cumulative payments totaling over ₦46 million in the past five years. One of the most shocking examples occurred in Zamfara in 2023 when six corps members were kidnapped en route to their place of primary assignment and held for several months in bandit-controlled forests. They were only released after immense public pressure and media outrage, and after relatives reportedly paid substantial ransoms.
Kidnapping and terrorism are not just distant abstractions to these young Nigerians—they are lived realities. In July 2023, a female corps member was shot dead in Borno State after being caught in a crossfire between insurgents and security forces. In Kogi, Bauchi, Benue, and Kaduna, corps members have been abducted, sexually assaulted, or even murdered while on official duties or while traveling for community development programs. Tragically, many of these cases are underreported, and the victims fade quickly from public memory.
Peter and Osaat (2021) contend that rising kidnapping incidents hinder academic institutions that depend on corps members for assistance. The absence of these members due to safety worries results in a service gap, particularly in rural regions. Kpae and Tajudeen (2021) highlight that terrorism in northern Nigeria has adversely affected access to education, further compounded by NYSC assignments that expose graduates to danger.
The psychological damage inflicted by this violence is equally disturbing. Olugbenga-Bello et al. (2025) conducted a study in North-Central Nigeria and found that adolescents with terrorism experience reported significantly lower quality of life, with symptoms of anxiety, trauma, and depression. While not directly involving NYSC members, the parallel is clear: young people exposed to violent environments suffer lasting mental health setbacks. Corps members who survive kidnapping often recount harrowing experiences of starvation, beatings, rape, and fear of death that haunt them well into adulthood. These are not isolated tales; they represent a silent epidemic of trauma among Nigeria’s brightest young minds.
Further compounding the crisis is the state’s inadequate response. The NYSC management has, on several occasions, announced measures to prevent corps member deployments to known flashpoints. However, Tribune Online (2025) reports that such declarations are inconsistently enforced. In reality, many corps members still find themselves posted to conflict zones where local authorities lack the capacity to guarantee their safety. Archibong (2023) highlights how kidnapping has evolved into an organized criminal enterprise in Nigeria, with young professionals, including corps members, frequently targeted due to their symbolic and financial value.
Read also: Beyond NYSC: Why Nigeria Must End Youth Service—Part 4
Underlying this escalating crisis are structural issues: unemployment, inequality, political instability, and the proliferation of arms. Ifeanyichukwu et al. (2025) link youth unemployment directly to the surge in kidnapping, particularly in regions where state presence is minimal, and criminal networks provide alternative forms of power. Similarly, Aliyu and Ushie (2020) point to the gendered nature of terrorism in northeastern Nigeria, where female corps members are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation.
The situation is further complicated by the lack of mental health or legal support structures for victims. Baduku (2025) and John & Wajim (2020) both stress the absence of long-term rehabilitation services for kidnapping victims, which is especially troubling given the state’s role in mandating risky deployments. Unachukwu and Okafor (2021) argue that the abduction and killing of young Nigerians is not just a personal tragedy—it is a national loss of human capital, one that undermines the very future the NYSC claims to protect.
Efforts by civil society groups such as HURIWA (2024) to raise awareness and demand reform have gained traction, but government response remains tepid at best. Ajiboye (2023) details how Nigeria’s security forces lack operational readiness and logistical support to conduct effective hostage rescue missions, making preventive strategies far more crucial than reactive ones.
The insecurity faced by corps members shows the state’s inability to protect its citizens. The NYSC, despite its idealistic aims, puts young Nigerians in danger with little oversight. The NYSC should not continue as a national service program if it jeopardizes the lives of young people. Security, accountability, and the value of life must be prioritized over tradition. Nigeria needs to understand that national unity should not come at the cost of sacrificing its youth.
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