Sowore Demands Suspension, Scrapping of NYSC After Abduction of Prospective Corps Members

By Emeka Henry Obi

October 3, 2026

Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has called for the immediate suspension and eventual scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme following the abduction of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.

Sowore made the call in a statement shared on his official social media platform while reacting to the reported abduction of young Nigerians travelling along the Owerri–Onitsha Road.

The Imo State Police Command had confirmed that prospective corps members and other passengers were abducted after gunmen attacked two buses near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.

The victims were reportedly travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South when the incident occurred.

The police subsequently announced that security operatives had rescued 10 victims, while search-and-rescue operations continued for those still believed to be in captivity.

Reacting to the incident, Sowore argued that the NYSC had “outlived its usefulness in its present form,” adding that he had maintained the position since his first presidential campaign in 2019.

According to him, the government should not compel young Nigerians to travel long distances for national service when adequate security cannot be guaranteed along their routes.

“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,” Sowore said.

The AAC presidential candidate called for the immediate suspension of the NYSC and proposed that, as an interim measure, prospective corps members should be permitted to undertake their service within their states of origin.

He argued that compelling young Nigerians to travel hundreds of kilometres to unfamiliar locations for compulsory national service exposes them to avoidable security risks, particularly amid the country’s continuing security challenges.

Sowore also outlined a proposal for what he described as a replacement for the NYSC under a “Sowore 2027 presidency.”

He proposed a two-year voluntary National Job Corps that would focus on employment creation, 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 concluded by renewing his call for the immediate suspension of the NYSC, arguing that the compulsory national service system should ultimately be replaced with a voluntary programme centred on employment, skills acquisition and national development.

By Emeka Henry Obi