The Human Rights and Justice Group International has urged the Federal Government to suspend the National Youth Service program due to the high rate of kidnapping and banditry in the country.
Over the past months, there have been reports of ritual killings, kidnappings, and other attacks across the country. In August 2023, eight graduates from Akwa-Ibom were kidnapped on their way to Sokoto NYSC orientation camp. Recently, a group of kidnappers invaded a community in Abuja and kidnapped families including little children.
The organization's Executive Director, Prince Nze said the country is no longer safe, and risking the lives of innocent youths in the name of serving their fatherland is not advisable. He called on Pres. Tinubu to fight the terrorist attacks and make sure the state security apparatus justifies the budgetary allocation given to them.
He said, "For now, due to insecurity, the NYSC should be put on hold. The essence of NYSC is to integrate the youths. Today, some youths who went to the North from Akwa Ibom State have not been accounted for over eight months. Their parents are worried and nobody can account for them.
For you to ask me to send my children to the NYSC for a nation that has more values for cows than human beings, I cannot subject my children to such a situation because if anything happens to them, the country does not care.
The level of insecurity was worsened even before Tinubu came on board. We have spent billions of dollars acquiring military equipment and weapons, yet we live in a country where terrorists determine things.
As I speak today, there are parts of the country where Boko Haram collects taxes from the people. Farmers cannot go to farms until they pay taxes to Boko Haram in some parts of the North."