By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Akure
Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has called on the Federal Government to urgently review the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme by allowing corps members to serve within their states of origin or residence.
The group said worsening insecurity across the country has made the current interstate posting arrangement dangerous for young graduates, many of whom are exposed to kidnappings and violent attacks while travelling to orientation camps.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi, Afenifere expressed concern over what it described as the increasing targeting of prospective corps members by kidnappers and armed groups.
The organisation cited recent incidents involving corps members and prospective participants, including the abduction of Sodiq Ogunlana, a graduate of Lagos State University, who was reportedly shot while travelling to Ede, Osun State for orientation camp.
It also referenced the kidnap of a Kwara Polytechnic graduate, Lateefah, on her way to Taraba State, as well as the abduction of Gift David Samiya along the Akwanga-Jos Road while travelling for the NYSC exercise.
Describing the trend as disturbing, Afenifere said it had earlier raised similar concerns in 2021 when corps members became targets of bandits and criminal gangs in different parts of the country.
“No Nigerian deserves to be kidnapped or killed extrajudicially. Youth corps members deserve special consideration because of the peculiar nature of their national assignment,” the statement said.
The group maintained that if the NYSC scheme cannot be suspended, the Federal Government should modify the policy to allow corps members serve in safer and more familiar environments within their states.
Afenifere warned that continued exposure of young graduates to unsafe highways and volatile regions could further weaken public confidence in the NYSC programme and endanger more lives.
The organisation also urged security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and adopt stronger non-kinetic measures to tackle terrorism and banditry, while calling for investigations into alleged collaborators aiding criminal groups across the country.
