Sowore seeks NYSC scrapping after corps members’ abduction

File photo of human rights activist and presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.

The African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called for the immediate suspension and eventual scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps scheme following the abduction of prospective corps members in Imo State.

Sowore, in a post on X on Saturday, said the recent abduction of young Nigerians travelling to their orientation camps exposed what he described as the dangers of compelling graduates to travel across the country for national service.

The prospective corps members were among passengers abducted when gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.

The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The Imo State Police Command subsequently said security agencies had rescued some of the victims and continued efforts to locate the remaining abducted persons.
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Reacting to the incident, Sowore said the NYSC had “outlived its usefulness in its present form,” adding that he had held the position since his first presidential bid in 2019.

He said, “You cannot force young Nigerians to ‘serve their fatherland’ when the same country cannot guarantee their safety while they travel to their places of service.

“The NYSC should be suspended immediately and ultimately scrapped. In the meantime, all corps members should be given the option to serve within their states of origin.”

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Sowore argued that graduates should not be compelled to travel long distances to unfamiliar areas to fulfil a compulsory national service requirement, particularly amid insecurity across the country.

He also proposed replacing the NYSC under what he described as a “Sowore 2027 presidency” with a two-year voluntary National Job Corps.

According to him, the proposed programme would focus on employment, skills development, public works, technology, agriculture, healthcare, education and other areas of national development.

“Young Nigerians need jobs, opportunities, skills and security, not compulsory deployment into danger,” he said.

Sowore’s comments came as security agencies intensified efforts to rescue the abducted prospective corps members and other passengers.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, had deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation. Two commissioners of police were also deployed as part of the operation.

Saturday PUNCH reported that the abductors had demanded N50m for each of 19 prospective corps members, amounting to N950m, after the victims were taken into the bush.

The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of corps members and prospective corps members travelling between states for the compulsory national service scheme.

Fawzi Kehinde

Fawzi is a journalist and subeditor covering a wide range of beats including politics, metro, and international news, among others. He also optimises stories for digital audiences.

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