• Charges Corps members on personal security

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Mohammad Kaku Fadah, has revealed how a kidnapped Corps member from Ogun State was kidnapped on Tuesday, but his release secured within less than 24 hours.  

The DG, during a visit to the Ogun State NYSC camp in Sagamu area of the State, revealed that the Corps member was traveling from Ogun to Benue State before he was kidnapped.

While appealing to Corps members to take the issue of their security serious, the DG informed that the organization has put in place machinery to ensure their general wellbeing and security.

- The DG signing Visitors' Register

He explained that the fate which befell the kidnapped but released Corps member could have been anyone of them, appealing that they should abide by the rules of the camp and stay where they are supposed to stay.     

“We have put everything in place in terms of your welfare, wellbeing and your safety and security, but you must also be conscious of your personal security.

“An ugly incident happened yesterday in this state, a Corps member was traveling from this state to Benue and he was kidnapped, however we have regained his freedom.

“When you are in Nigeria Defense Academy, NDA, they will play a clip titled ‘it could be you’, it is a series of clip for personal safety. What happened to that Corps members that was kidnapped could be anybody.

“If you stay in the camp or wherever you are supposed to stay, you will not experience that kind of thing. It can only be imagined if your freedom is taken away from you for one hour, that was the situation he found himself.

“You can avert such incident by not going in and out anyhow. We have done what we can do by providing general security for you, it is now left for you individually to take care of yourself.

“Try to be disciplined, we are all from good homes and you shouldn’t change your character because you are out of school your homes, be a good person and adhere to the rules that are very explicit.”

- Cross session of Corps members during the DG's visit 

Fadah also advised Corps members to take advantage of skill acquisition programmes in different camps during their stay, adding that the era of automatic employment was gone.

According to Fadah, acquisition of skills can always serve an opportunity to fall back on in case of any eventuality.

“Also take advantage of the opportunities as it presents itself in skill acquisition, just choose any of the skill acquisition and make sure you learn a skill here, whatever skills that you want, nobody is forcing you, but make sure you are trained in any skill.

“If it were to be before, you can be rest assured that job was waiting for you, that period is no more there. The white-collar job may come, but for now, take advantage of what you have now, the skill is very important because you never can tell in life. Before you get the white-collar job, you can use the skills as a fallback."

- Dancing time with the cultural group and the State Director

The DG also advised the Corps members to “shun cultism, drug abused and negative use of social media. The reason why you are here is to foster national unity and integration, just like you have said during the swearing in and the national anthem that you read every time, you have pledged, so we are one Nigeria.”

The DG concluded his visit with cash gifts to official Corps members and a pledge of cow to the entire members.