The management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that it never directed corps members travelling on high risk roads to alert their families, friends and colleagues in the event that they were kidnapped.
It said such report on social media was a figment of imagination of mischief makers who are bent on detracting the noble ideals of one of the most veritable unity strings of the nation.
A statement from the office of the Director-General of NYSC, Brig-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, Thursday, therefore, appealed to parents and the general public to regard the news as fake.
“The attention of Management of the National Youth Service Corps has been drawn to a fake release making the rounds on the social media to the effect that Corps Members travelling on ‘high risk roads’ should alert their families, friends and colleagues in order to have somebody to pay off the ransom that could be demanded in the event of being kidnapped.
“Management wishes to emphatically state that the clause quoted is not embedded in NYSC Security Tips pamphlet which was put together by a highly respected retired security expert,” the statement reads in part.
General Ibrahim appealed to the general public to always clarify issues with the scheme before jumping to conclusion, stressing that security and welfare of corps members is top on his agenda.
“Please, be wary of falling prey to the antics of mischief makers out to ridicule the Scheme.
“Management shall continue to prioritise the security and welfare of Corps Members and staff at all times.”
A handbook issued to Corps members by the management of the scheme had advised members to be ready to pay abduction-for-ransom syndicates currently on rampage across Nigeria.
A security advisory introduced in March 2021 asked graduates serving as corps members to inform their family members and friends before embarking on a road trip as this would enable them to prepare sufficient ransom that may be required if abducted and save them from untimely and brutal death in the hands of the violent criminals.
“When travelling in high risk road such as Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Lokoja-Okene or Aba-Port-Harcourt road, then alert your family members, friends and colleagues in order to have someone on hand to pay off the ransom that could be demanded,” Security Awareness and Education Handbook for Corps Members and Staff said between pages 58 and 59.
The handbook also warned corps members to desist from travelling with their laptops, tablets and mobile devices, saying whatever banking information found on such devices might be used to examine a victim’s financial worth.
