Pan Yoruba socio political organisation Afenifere has renewed calls for changes to the National Youth Service Corps deployment system following the abduction of 20 prospective corps members traveling from Ibadan to their service destinations.
The group urged the federal government to accelerate reforms that would allow graduates to serve in their states of origin or residence, or at least within their geopolitical zones, arguing that long distance deployment exposes young Nigerians to avoidable security risks.
The prospective corps members reportedly left the Samonda area of Ibadan on September 30 with their call up letters and were abducted around Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State while traveling towards Akwa Ibom and Abia states.
The Imo State Police Command confirmed the incident. Reports cited by Afenifere said the abductors initially demanded N100 million for each victim before later reducing the demand to N5 million per person. The ransom figures remain based on reports surrounding the kidnapping.
Afenifere National Publicity Secretary Jare Ajayi said the organization sympathized with the families and called on security agencies, as well as the Oyo and Imo state governments, to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.
The group said the incident reinforced concerns it had raised repeatedly since 2021 about sending young graduates across long distances for national service in an environment affected by kidnapping and other violent crime.
Afenifere maintained that the national integration objectives of the NYSC could be pursued without unnecessarily exposing participants to dangerous journeys. It therefore called for amendments to the NYSC Act and a review of the deployment framework.
The abduction has again placed the safety of corps members and prospective participants at the centre of debate over the future structure of the national service scheme.
