A concerned Nigerian professional, Dr. Opadonu Moses Olufemi, has formally submitted a petition to the National Assembly of Nigeria calling for urgent legislative intervention regarding the safety, security, and welfare of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the face of escalating insecurity across the country.
In the petition addressed to the leadership of the Senate of Nigeria and the House of Representatives of Nigeria, Dr. Opadonu raised serious concerns about the increasing risks faced by Nigerian graduates during interstate deployment for the mandatory national service programme.
The NYSC scheme was established to promote national unity, integration, and developmental service among Nigerian youths. However, prevailing security challenges in several parts of the country have raised growing concerns about the safety of corps members, particularly during interstate travel and postings in high-risk areas.
Recent tragic incidents, including the reported death of Musa Usman Abba, a graduate of Federal University Gusau, who allegedly lost his life following abduction while traveling to resume his NYSC assignment, have intensified nationwide calls for a comprehensive review of the deployment framework.
According to the petition, there are also troubling reports that prospective corps members may be required to sign undertakings or indemnity forms that appear to shift responsibility for kidnapping ransom payments or personal security away from the government and onto parents or guardians. Such allegations, if confirmed, raise serious ethical, legal, and humanitarian questions about the duty of care owed by the state to young citizens participating in compulsory national service.
Dr. Opadonu emphasized that the protection of Nigerian graduates must remain a national priority, noting that compulsory service without adequate security guarantees places families under immense emotional and financial strain while potentially undermining public confidence in national institutions.
*Key Policy Recommendations*
The petition outlines several strategic recommendations for legislative consideration by the National Assembly:
1. Temporary Suspension or Strategic Moratorium
A temporary suspension or structured moratorium on interstate NYSC deployment is proposed until measurable national security improvements are achieved.
2. Regional or Localized Orientation Camps
Orientation camps should be organized within the geographical regions or states where graduates reside or studied, thereby reducing exposure to long-distance travel across insecure highways.
3. State-of-Graduation Service Deployment
Corps members should primarily serve within the state where they graduated or within nearby regions to minimize security and logistical vulnerabilities.
4. Government-Funded Insurance Protection
The Federal Government should provide comprehensive life, health, and kidnapping insurance coverage for all corps members to ensure adequate protection and compensation.
5. Abolition of Liability-Shifting Undertakings
Any policy or documentation that transfers security risks or ransom liabilities to parents or guardians should be immediately reviewed and abolished.
6. Strengthened Security Logistics
Where interstate movement is unavoidable, coordinated security arrangements—including escorted transportation and designated secure travel corridors—should be implemented for corps members.
*Call for Legislative Action*
Dr. Opadonu stressed that Nigerian graduates represent the intellectual capital and future leadership of the nation, and that a programme designed to foster unity must not inadvertently expose them to life-threatening risks.
He therefore called on the National Assembly of Nigeria to urgently initiate a comprehensive legislative inquiry into the operational structure of the NYSC scheme and implement reforms that prioritize the safety, dignity, and future of Nigerian youths.
“History will remember this moment as one where decisive leadership either protected the nation’s youth or allowed avoidable tragedies to persist,” the petition stated.
The petition urges policymakers to act swiftly in reviewing the current framework of the National Youth Service Corps in order to align national service obligations with the prevailing security realities in Nigeria.
