The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the Federal Government to suspend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme until the security situation in the country improves, following the release of 20 corps members who were abducted in Imo State.
The Islamic human rights organisation also demanded the immediate discharge of the 20 corps members, with their NYSC discharge certificates and full allowances for the 2026/2027 service year as compensation for their ordeal.
MURIC’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the demands in a statement issued on Friday, October 9, 2026.
The group said the abduction and subsequent release of the corps members, who reportedly spent one week in captivity, had highlighted the security challenges confronting participants in the national service scheme.
While expressing gratitude to Almighty Allah for the safe release of the victims, MURIC congratulated their parents and families, saying the traumatic experience of the young Nigerians warranted urgent consideration by the Federal Government.
“We cannot but conclude that the scheme’s greatest challenge is insecurity. We are of the opinion that our young ones do not deserve this punishment. Rather, the Federal Government (FG) has the responsibility, in loco parentis, to ensure their protection,” Akintola said.
He argued that the government had a responsibility to protect corps members deployed to different parts of the country for their national service, adding that their safety should not be compromised by prevailing security challenges.
MURIC said the Federal Government should suspend the scheme, at least temporarily, until it could guarantee the safety of participants.
“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,” the statement added.
Beyond the proposed suspension, the organisation called for the immediate discharge of the 20 freed corps members, arguing that they should not be compelled to continue their service after the trauma of spending a week in the hands of kidnappers.
It also demanded that the victims be issued their discharge certificates and paid the allowances they would have received throughout the 2026/2027 service year.
According to MURIC, the proposed measures would serve as compensation for their ordeal and demonstrate the government’s concern for the welfare of young Nigerians participating in the national service programme.
The organisation said the incident should prompt a broader reassessment of the security arrangements governing the deployment of corps members across the country.
MURIC maintained that the protection of young Nigerians undertaking national service must remain a priority and urged the Federal Government to address the security challenges before continuing the scheme.