The abduction of prospective corps members in Imo State should be more than another kidnapping story. It should trigger a serious review of how NYSC postings and travel arrangements are handled.National service remains important. But the safety of young Nigerians should come before the need to send them across the country.
Another journey ends in fear
On Thursday, October 1, prospective corps members travelling towards their orientation camps were attacked along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State.
The victims were travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, when the incident occurred around Umunoha.
Reports about the exact number of abducted passengers have differed. However, NYSC-bound graduates were among those taken, while security agencies moved to rescue those still missing.
The police have since intensified the search, with additional tactical teams and other security resources deployed.
For the families involved, what should have been the beginning of a new chapter has instead become a period of fear and uncertainty.
This has happened before
The concern is not based on one incident alone.
In August 2023, eight prospective corps members travelling from Uyo to Sokoto were abducted along the Funtua-Gusau Road in Zamfara State. The NYSC later announced that all eight had been rescued, with the last victim released in August 2024.
Another NYSC member was abducted along the Enugu-Ezike Road in January 2025 while travelling towards Kogi State. She was later released after spending several days with her abductors.
In January 2026, prospective corps member Lateefah Binuyo was also abducted while travelling towards an NYSC orientation camp in Taraba State.
That case led to calls from the Lagos State House of Assembly for stronger security measures for prospective corps members travelling to their states of deployment.
Then, in August 2026, another group of prospective corps members was reportedly abducted along a highway in Kogi State while travelling towards an orientation camp.
The repeated incidents should not be ignored.
Should security come first?
The main question is simple: should the security situation of a state and the major routes leading there receive more attention before prospective corps members are deployed?
In my view, they should.
NYSC was created to promote national unity and give young Nigerians the opportunity to serve outside their home states.
That goal should not be abandoned.
But national service should also reflect the reality of the country at any given time.
Where serious security threats have been identified, stronger checks should be carried out before corps members are sent through those areas.
What could be changed?
A better system could involve regular security assessments before every posting exercise.
Major roads used by prospective corps members could be assessed alongside the security situation around orientation camps and places of primary assignment.
The NYSC could also work more closely with security agencies before travel begins.
Where serious risks are identified, alternative arrangements could be considered.
Better travel coordination could also reduce the number of young graduates travelling long distances without adequate security support.
These steps would not mean ending the national service programme.
They would mean making the programme safer.
National service should not mean unnecessary risk
Young Nigerians who report for NYSC have already completed their studies. Many have spent years preparing for the next stage of their lives.
They should be given the opportunity to serve without unnecessary exposure to known dangers.
The latest Imo incident should therefore be treated as a warning.
The immediate priority is the safe return of every person still missing.
But once the immediate crisis is over, the wider question should remain: what can be changed to prevent another group of prospective corps members from becoming victims?
National unity is important.
National service is important.
But the safety of those serving the nation should be just as important.
Before corps members are posted or asked to travel across the country, the security situation should be carefully considered. That is not a rejection of national service. It is a call to make national service safer.
