MURIC Urges FG to Suspend NYSC Scheme, Discharge 20 Freed Corps Members

MURIC Urges FG to Suspend NYSC Scheme, Discharge 20 Freed Corps Members

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government to suspend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme until the country’s worsening insecurity is brought under control.

The Islamic human rights organisation also demanded the immediate discharge of 20 corps members recently released after spending a week in the custody of kidnappers in Imo State.

MURIC urged the government to issue the affected corps members their NYSC discharge certificates and pay them the allowances they would have received throughout the 2026/2027 service year as compensation for their ordeal.

The group’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the demands in a press release issued on Friday, October 9, 2026.

Akintola said the abduction of the corps members had highlighted the security challenges facing participants in the national service scheme, arguing that young Nigerians should not be exposed to such risks while fulfilling their national obligations.

MURIC welcomed the release of the 20 corps members and expressed gratitude for their safe return, while congratulating their parents and families.

The organisation, however, said the traumatic experience of the freed corps members and others who had suffered similar ordeals warranted a review of the scheme’s operation amid persistent insecurity.

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According to Akintola, insecurity has become the scheme’s greatest challenge, placing the Federal Government under an obligation to protect young Nigerians participating in national service.

He argued that the government had a responsibility, in its capacity as a guardian, to ensure the safety of corps members deployed to different parts of the country.

“However, in view of the apparent inability to do this, at least presently, we demand the suspension of the NYSC scheme until FG is able to take full control of the security situation in the country,” he said.

The group also insisted that the 20 freed corps members should not be required to continue their service after their reported week-long ordeal in captivity.

MURIC proposed that the affected individuals be formally discharged and compensated with the allowances they would otherwise have earned during the entire 2026/2027 service year.

The organisation said its demands were aimed at protecting young Nigerians from further exposure to kidnapping and other security threats associated with national service.

The call comes amid renewed concerns over the safety of corps members travelling to their places of deployment, particularly in areas affected by kidnapping and other security challenges.

The NYSC scheme, established in 1973, requires eligible Nigerian graduates to undertake a year of national service, including deployment to states other than their places of origin in many cases.

MURIC’s proposal would require a major policy decision by the Federal Government and the relevant authorities responsible for administering the scheme.

The government had yet to respond to the demands contained in the statement at the time of this report.

MURIC Urges FG to Suspend NYSC Scheme, Discharge 20 Freed Corps Members