Insecurity: Anxiety as NYSC camps open in high-risk states

NYSC members

Thousands of prospective corps members and their families are apprehensive as the 2026 Batch A (Stream 1) orientation exercise of the National Youth Service Corps commences across the country, particularly in states plagued by bandit attacks, kidnappings, and bomb scares.

From Zamfara to Kaduna, Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Katsina states, corps members embarking on the 21-day orientation face long and fearful journeys, even as officials insist that all measures are in place to ensure their safety.

The anxiety comes amid a surge in terrorist attacks, killings, mass abductions, and bomb scares that have gripped the northern parts of the country in recent weeks.

In a statement issued on January 6, 2026, the NYSC announced that the 2026 Batch A (Stream 1) orientation exercise would commence on Wednesday, January 21, across all 37 orientation camps nationwide.

In September 2025, the NYSC announced that about 650,000 graduates would be mobilised across all streams in 2026, up from the 400,000 deployed in 2025.

However, only about 40 per cent of registered prospective corps members are expected to participate in the current exercise, with the remaining 60 per cent slated for subsequent streams.

Based on recent media reports, certain states have emerged as hotbeds of bandit attacks, terrorism, and abductions.

These include Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Yobe and Borno states.

While official deployment figures are yet to be released, Saturday PUNCH gathered that about 8,000 corps members are projected to participate in the 21-day orientation exercise across the high-risk states.

Yobe on Friday swore in 1,200 corps members.

Kaduna State is expected to host about 2,000 corps members, while Katsina is projected to receive 2,050.

The Zamfara State NYSC Coordinator, Muhammad Ahmed, told our correspondent that about 600 corps members were expected in the state during the exercise, while Sokoto and Kebbi states would host about 1,900 and 1,700 corps members, respectively.

Corps members recount fearful trips

In separate interviews with Saturday PUNCH, corps members already in camp expressed concern over deployments to high-risk states, even as state governments maintained that security had been reinforced around orientation camps.

A corps member currently undergoing the orientation exercise in Zamfara State, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the NYSC does not permit them to speak to the press, said his greatest fear upon seeing his posting letter was the possibility of a bandit attack.

“My main fear is insecurity, the fear of bandits and kidnappers,” he said.

He explained that his parents were also anxious, but later gave their consent and prayed for him.

The corps member, a Microbiology graduate of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, said he spent about 28 hours travelling from Plateau State, where he resides, to the orientation camp in Zamfara, remaining cautious throughout the journey.

“We arrived very late in Zamfara and had to sleep over in a nearby village in Funtua before proceeding to the camp the next day. Even though there were security personnel in the village, we were still scared initially because you can’t predict an attack from non-state actors,” he added.

Another corps member in Zamfara, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he arrived at the orientation camp around 11am on Wednesday after nearly 24 hours on the road.

The graduate, who had been residing in Jos, Plateau State, said he broke the journey into two legs, spending the night in Zaria before continuing to Zamfara the following day. Punch