A 55-year-old mother, Janet Oladosu, has appealed to the Federal Government to intensify efforts to rescue her son, Greatness, and 19 other prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted while traveling to their orientation camps. The abduction occurred on September 30, 2026, near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. Oladosu urged the Federal Government, Oyo and Imo State governments, and security agencies to make the rescue of the victims a priority.
The 20 prospective corps members had collected their NYSC call-up letters and departed from the Samonda area of Ibadan for orientation camps in the South-East and South-South. According to Oladosu, her son had kept her informed of his movements throughout the journey from Ibadan until a message from him suddenly changed the nature of their communication. Greatness had earlier told her that a prolonged traffic hold-up in Edo State forced the travelers to stop over in Anambra State.
Oladosu said her son contacted her again the following morning to inform her that they had resumed their journey towards Imo State. However, about 45 minutes later, she received a message from him through another phone, stating that they had been kidnapped. The message heightened her fears, as her son was communicating secretly while in captivity and was uncertain about what would happen to him and the other victims.
The incident has triggered renewed calls for a review of the NYSC deployment policy. The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has called for reforms to reduce the security risks faced by prospective corps members traveling long distances for national service. Afenifere's National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, stated that the organization had consistently advocated a review of the deployment policy since 2021.
Afenifere urged the Federal Government to expedite the amendment of the NYSC Act to allow graduates to serve in their states of origin, states of residence, or at least within their geopolitical zones. The group recalled President Bola Tinubu's July announcement that the Federal Ministries of Youth Development and Justice had been directed to commence the process of amending the NYSC Act and its subsidiary regulations.
President Tinubu's proposed reforms include risk-based deployment, particularly in states facing security challenges. Afenifere urged the government to accelerate the legislative process and ensure that the proposed reforms translate into concrete measures to protect corps members. Pending the amendment, the group called on the NYSC to allow graduates to serve in their states of origin, states of residence, or neighboring states within their geopolitical zones.
The group also commended President Tinubu for approving additional Army formations in Zamfara, Kebbi, Oyo, and Osun states, saying the development would bring troops closer to vulnerable communities and improve response to security emergencies. However, Afenifere noted that military expansion alone would not end kidnapping and banditry, urging effective enforcement of the 2022 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.
Key points
- The abduction of 20 prospective NYSC members has raised concerns about the safety of corps members during deployment.
- Afenifere has called for reforms to the NYSC deployment policy to reduce security risks faced by prospective corps members.
- The Federal Government has been urged to expedite the amendment of the NYSC Act to allow for risk-based deployment and protect corps members.
