The Risky Road To NYSC Orientation Camps

At least 40 potential and serving corps members had been kidnapped in 5 reported incidents throughout journeys to or from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps in 2026.

In January, Binuyo Lateefah, a graduate of Kwara State Polytechnic, was kidnapped in Kogi State whereas travelling to her NYSC orientation camp in Taraba State. Her abductors demanded N30m in ransom.

On August 26, gunmen kidnapped 16 corps members coming back from their orientation camp in Bayelsa State alongside the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Kogi State. On October 1, one other 20 potential corps members travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states had been kidnapped when gunmen attacked their buses close to Umunoha, alongside the Owerri–Onitsha Road in Imo State. Both teams had been ultimately rescued.

Three different potential corps members had been kidnapped in separate incidents.

In April, Gift Samiya David, a graduate of the University of Maiduguri, was kidnapped alongside the Akwanga–Jos Highway whereas travelling to the NYSC orientation camp in Maiduguri, Borno State. Ogunlana Adetola Sodiq, a graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), was reportedly shot within the leg and kidnapped whereas travelling to his orientation camp in Ede, Osun State. His abductors demanded N20m

NYSC postings routinely require graduates to journey outdoors their states of origin. A graduate posted to the North East from the South West, as an illustration, could cross a number of states earlier than reaching their assigned orientation camp. Others journey by way of unfamiliar areas, relying largely on industrial transport and knowledge obtainable to them earlier than departure.

NYSC determines the place graduates report and after they should arrive, whereas households usually make the transport preparations.

What NYSC Says

The scheme sometimes advises potential corps members to journey throughout daylight, use registered transport operators and authorized motor parks, share their places and keep away from persevering with journeys when it will get late. The October assault in Imo, nonetheless, exposes the bounds of such precautions. The assault occurred at about 6:30 a.m. after the travellers reportedly broke their journey to keep away from evening journey and resumed their journey that morning.

The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, advised the News Agency of Nigeria in April that the scheme was working with the police, navy and intelligence businesses on corps members’ safety. He mentioned safety businesses had been notified forward of orientation programmes, camps had been bolstered and that corps members in some places acquired escorts alongside designated routes.

In 2025, the scheme relocated camps in Kwara and Kebbi states over safety issues. In May, Nafiu additionally suggested dad and mom to offer sufficient transport cash for potential corps members to interrupt lengthy journeys and cease in a single day the place crucial.

The recommendation recognises the dangers of long-distance journey however locations a lot of the price of precautions on households. The Imo incident additionally proved that travelling through the day doesn’t assure safety from assaults or kidnappers.

The DG didn’t determine the routes lined by the escort preparations or clarify how corps members travelling to camps are included within the coordination with safety businesses. Public statements by the scheme have additionally not established whether or not it collects journey particulars from potential corps members or displays routes the place abductions have been reported.

NYSC’s recommendation to make use of registered operators additionally doesn’t, by itself, counsel the scheme has a system for coordinating with industrial transport firms throughout mobilisation.

In the August Kogi incident, police mentioned gunmen emerged from the bush close to Ogene Zaria and blocked 2 buses travelling in reverse instructions. The account didn’t embrace details about the safety escorts or presence alongside the route on the time.

The rescue operation Imo took 6 days. The 20 potential corps members had been recovered on October 7 in an operation involving the police, navy and Department of State Services (DSS). Police mentioned drones had positioned the abductors’ camp, however officers couldn’t advance as a result of the positioning was planted with improvised explosive units.

Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso mentioned he was unaware of any ransom cost, though earlier experiences cited calls for of as much as N50m per sufferer. On October 16, police introduced the arrest of 5 suspects and mentioned 3 others had escaped with gunshot wounds.

Other abductions involving serving corps members present that the problem extends past journeys to and from orientation camps.

On January 9, 2025, Abasifreke Joseph was kidnapped round Enugu-Ezike in Enugu State. On February 25, 2025, Rofiat Lawal was kidnapped alongside the Benin–Ore route in Edo State and was subsequently reportedly freed after a ransom cost of N1.1m.

Eunice Ameh, one other serving corps member, was kidnapped in Maitama, Abuja, on May 6, 2026. She was later reported to have regained her freedom.

For a scheme that determines how graduates are deployed throughout the nation, the safety preparations surrounding mobilisation ought to prolong past the orientation camp.

The NYSC Public Relations Officer, Mrs Caroline Embu, didn’t reply to calls or messages searching for feedback on the safety preparations for corps members travelling to and from orientation camps as of the time of submitting this report.