An Islamic human rights advocacy group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the growing insecurity facing corps members, warning that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme should be scrapped if their safety cannot be guaranteed.
The group made the call in its 2026 Ramadan (Salah) message issued on Thursday, March 19, 2026, and signed by its Executive Director, Ishaq Akintola.
MURIC said it was joining a growing national outcry over the safety of corps members, many of whom have fallen victim to abductions and killings in recent years.
“Our attention has been drawn to ongoing clamour for the safety of youth corpers during their service year. Many have called for the scrapping of the scheme if their safety cannot be guaranteed by the Federal Government,” the statement read.
The group specifically aligned itself with advocacy efforts by The People’s Voice, led by Alice Oludimu, and the National Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria, headed by Haruna Danjuma, both of which have pushed for stronger protection measures, including insurance coverage for corps members.
Describing the campaign as “just, altruistic and patriotic,” MURIC said the movement represents a call to accountability and a demand for the protection of Nigerian youth.
Citing alarming statistics, the group noted that at least 83 corps members were abducted between 2013 and 2023. It also referenced recent tragic incidents, including the killing of a corps member, Musa Usman Abba, who was abducted in January 2026 while traveling to Sokoto State and later killed by bandits despite a ransom payment by his family.
MURIC further cited another case in March 2026 where a corps member regained freedom only after paying a ransom of ₦10 million along with two motorcycles, as well as a 2020 incident along the Abuja–Lokoja highway where kidnappers killed one corps member and abducted others.
“These sad incidents should not be happening to our youths. It is already assaulting their psyche and militarising them,” the group stated.
Invoking Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, MURIC reminded the government that the security and welfare of citizens remain its primary responsibility.
The group also expressed concern over reports that some NYSC officials allegedly required corps members to sign undertakings placing the burden of ransom payments on their parents in the event of abduction.
“In a heart-rending development, an NYSC director made corpers sign that their parents would pay if they are kidnapped. Is this not alarming? When did NYSC become an agent of bandits?” the statement queried.
To address the crisis, MURIC proposed a series of measures, including the introduction of a comprehensive life insurance policy for all corps members, provision of mandatory military escorts for those posted to high-risk areas, and a prohibition on transferring responsibility for their safety to parents.
The group urged the Federal Government to urgently reform the NYSC scheme, emphasizing that it must be transformed “from a pact with death and captivity to a journey through life and hope.”
The National Youth Service Corps, established to promote national unity and development, has in recent years come under increasing scrutiny due to rising insecurity across parts of the country.
