A civil society organisation, the Human Rights and Justice Group International has called on the Federal Government to suspend the National Youth Service over the spate of killings and kidnapping in the country.
The group stated this against the backdrop of rising of killings occasioned by kidnappings, terrorist attacks and other criminal activities across the country.
On February 2023, gunmen reportedly kidnapped 15 NYSC members at a motor park at Iseke in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State when they were travelling to Lagos.
They were rescued by the state Police Command.
Also in August 2023, eight Akwa Ibom State tertiary institution graduates who were on their way to Sokoto State to take part in the mandatory national service were kidnapped by gunmen along a highway in Zamfara.
Recently, kidnappers invaded the Sagwari community in Abuja on Sunday, 7 January, at about 7:30 pm, and kidnapped 11 residents, including a mother, her four children and a receptionist from a nearby hotel.
A final year student of the Bayero University, Kano, Talatu Salihu, who was among the victims was killed by the terrorists after her family could not pay the ransom to the terrorists while also issuing a threat to kill her two siblings if the ransom was not paid.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the CSO’s Executive Director, Prince Nze, said the country was no longer safe and added that the continued posting of youths for the scheme was putting their lives in danger.
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 could 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 situation because if anything happens to them, the country does not care.
Speaking further, he said, “The level of insecurity is 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 collect taxes from the people. Farmers cannot go to farms until they pay taxes to Boko Haram in some parts of the North.
“All we are saying is that the current President should be decisive about terrorism and the military and the apparatus of state securities should justify the budgetary allocation on security given to them. We cannot be living in a nation where terrorists determine what we do or how we live our lives”.
A Professor of International law at the University of Jos, Professor Nnamdi Aduba, frowned at Nze’s views on the matter, saying it is wrong to shield the youths from the problems of the nation.
He said, “You cannot shield the youth from the problems of society. They have to be part of it. There is insecurity everywhere. What are you suspending it for? What is the alternative? How would you teach your youths about their country? NYSC is a beautiful idea. In a multi-ethnic society like ours, any programme that will create opportunities for young people to know their nation should be adopted.
“Do you know that even now that is no job anywhere, most of these young graduates depend on the NYSC as a startup to their lives, if it is suspended what will happen? There is no country without one level of insecurity or another”.
