Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate 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 southeastern Nigeria.
Sowore made the call after gunmen attacked two buses carrying prospective corps members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The incident has renewed concerns about the security risks faced by young Nigerians who are required to travel across state lines to participate in the compulsory national service programme.
Prospective corps members abducted in Imo
The Imo State Police Command confirmed that NYSC members were among passengers abducted after gunmen intercepted two buses travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
The attack occurred at about 6:30 a.m. near Umunoha, according to the police.
The buses were reportedly travelling towards Uyo in Akwa Ibom State and Bende in Abia State when armed men attacked them.
Initial reports indicated that about 20 prospective corps members were among those abducted. However, the police subsequently said the exact number of abducted persons was still being verified.
The police also announced that 10 victims had been rescued during security operations following the attack. The rescued victims were reported to be safe and receiving attention.
The police said tactical teams and other security agencies had continued search-and-rescue operations aimed at locating those still in captivity and apprehending the suspected abductors.
Sowore demands suspension and scrapping of NYSC
Reacting to the incident, Sowore argued that the abduction demonstrated the risks associated with compelling young Nigerians to travel long distances for national service.
He called for the immediate suspension of the NYSC programme and its eventual scrapping.
Sowore said prospective corps members should not be compelled to travel to unfamiliar parts of the country when security cannot be guaranteed along the routes they are required to use.
He also proposed that, pending any wider change to the scheme, corps members should have the option of serving within their states of origin.
The AAC candidate further proposed replacing the NYSC with what he described as a voluntary two-year National Job Corps.
According to reports of his proposal, the alternative programme would focus on employment, vocational and skills development, public works, technology, agriculture, healthcare, education and other areas of national development.
Sowore has also indicated that his opposition to the existing NYSC structure predates the latest incident, saying he has advocated changes to the scheme since his first presidential bid in 2019.
Security agencies intensify rescue operation
The call for the suspension of NYSC came as security agencies continued efforts to locate the remaining abducted passengers.
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, deployed Deputy Inspector-General of Police Shehu Nadada, who is in charge of Operations, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation.
Two commissioners of police were also deployed to reinforce the operation, according to reports.
The police said the response involved tactical teams and other operational assets, while the Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Bosso, visited the scene for an assessment and operational direction.
The police have not publicly confirmed the final number of people abducted. This distinction is important because early reports placed the number of victims at around 20 prospective corps members, while the police said the total number of abductees was still being verified.
The wider debate over NYSC
The incident has brought renewed attention to longstanding questions surrounding the structure and purpose of the NYSC programme.
Established as a national service scheme, NYSC requires eligible Nigerian graduates to undertake a period of service that includes orientation, primary assignment and community development activities.
One of its central features is the deployment of graduates outside their states of origin, an arrangement intended to encourage national integration and interaction among young Nigerians from different parts of the country.
The security situation along some Nigerian highways, however, has created challenges for such nationwide deployment.
The Imo incident illustrates one of the risks associated with inter-state movement for national service: prospective corps members can become exposed to security threats before they even arrive at their orientation camps.
The National Youth Service Corps itself maintains state and area structures across the country, including an Imo State secretariat and a South-East area office responsible for overseeing NYSC activities in Imo and Abia.
NYSC also remains a youth-development platform
While Sowore is calling for the scheme to be scrapped, the NYSC continues to operate as a national youth-development and integration programme.
Recent statements from the scheme have highlighted its Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme, known as SAED.
According to NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, the scheme trained more than 1.39 million young graduates in various vocational skills through SAED between 2019 and 2025.
The NYSC leadership has also promoted the scheme’s role in entrepreneurship and youth empowerment, arguing that its programmes can contribute to employment and economic development.
This provides part of the broader context to the current debate: calls to abolish the scheme focus heavily on compulsory deployment and security concerns, while the NYSC and its supporters have continued to emphasise national integration, community service, skills development and youth empowerment.
Safety concerns and the question of reform
The Imo abduction has therefore raised a broader question beyond the immediate rescue operation: whether the national service system should be fundamentally reformed to reduce the risks associated with transporting young graduates across the country.
Possible areas of debate include deployment procedures, travel arrangements, security assessments, orientation-camp transportation and mechanisms for responding to security threats along major routes.
Sowore’s proposal represents one political position in that debate. His call for abolition is not an indication that the government has decided to suspend or terminate the NYSC programme.
As of October 3, 2026, the available reports show that security agencies remain focused on the rescue operation, while the NYSC continues to operate.
What happens next
The immediate priority remains locating and safely rescuing any victims who remain in captivity and identifying those responsible for the attack.
Police authorities are expected to provide further information as the operation develops and as the number of abducted and rescued persons is established.
The incident is also likely to keep attention on the safety arrangements surrounding NYSC deployment and inter-state movement by prospective corps members.
For now, Sowore’s proposal to suspend and ultimately scrap the NYSC remains a political demand rather than an implemented government policy.
The continuing rescue operation and any subsequent official statements from the police, NYSC or Federal Government will provide further information on the security response and whether additional measures will be introduced for prospective corps members.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Imo State Police Command reports as cited by Channels Television and TheCable on the October 1, 2026 abduction and rescue operation.
- Premium Times report on the police confirmation of the abduction of prospective corps members.
- Leadership reports on Omoyele Sowore’s call for the suspension and eventual scrapping of NYSC.
- National Youth Service Corps official information on its state and area offices.
- NYSC information on its youth skills-development activities.
