HURIWA Condemns Killing of NYSC Member in Maiduguri Bomb Blast, Urges Scheme's Abolition
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed profound outrage and grief following the death of a 26-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Chidiebere Orji, in a bomb explosion in Maiduguri last week. The incident has reignited urgent calls for the unbundling or outright abolition of the NYSC scheme, which the group argues has failed to protect Nigerian youths.
Tragic Loss in Borno State
Chidiebere Orji, an indigene of Amurri in Enugu State, was among several victims of the deadly blast that rocked parts of the insurgency-hit city of Maiduguri. His remains were laid to rest in his hometown amid tears, anguish, and growing public anger over what many described as a preventable tragedy. HURIWA, through its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, stated that Orji's death highlights the persistent dangers faced by NYSC participants, particularly those deployed to volatile regions without adequate security provisions.
Systemic Failures and Public Sentiment
In a strongly worded statement, HURIWA lamented that the NYSC scheme, established in 1973 after the Nigerian Civil War to foster national unity and cultural integration, has largely failed to achieve its objectives. Instead, the group noted, it has become a system that exposes young graduates to grave risks, including terrorism, kidnapping, and fatal road accidents. HURIWA cited numerous cases of corps members being abducted by armed groups or dying in road mishaps due to poor travel arrangements and lack of institutional support.
The association criticized systemic inefficiency, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and a glaring lack of leadership within the Ministry of Youth Development and the NYSC Directorate, which it said have contributed to the deterioration of the scheme's original vision. HURIWA further disclosed that an opinion poll it conducted revealed that 85 percent of Nigerians support the abolition of the NYSC, citing its failure to adapt to modern realities and guarantee participant safety and welfare.
Call for Immediate Action
HURIWA described Orji's killing as part of a disturbing pattern of negligence and systemic failure, emphasizing that Nigerian youths should not be sent into harm's way under a programme that has outlived its purpose. The group pointed to recurring reports of corps members being posted to high-risk areas without proper risk assessment, security coverage, or emergency response mechanisms, labeling the practice as reckless and inhumane.
Therefore, HURIWA called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take immediate and decisive action by either unbundling and restructuring the NYSC into a safer, more efficient system or scrapping it entirely. It stressed the need to remove civil service encumbrances and redesign youth engagement policies to reflect current security and socio-economic realities. The association warned that continuing with the status quo would lead to more avoidable deaths and deepen public distrust in government institutions.
HURIWA urged the Federal Government to honour the memory of Chidiebere Orji and others who have died in service by ensuring that no Nigerian youth is again subjected to such preventable risks under the guise of national service.
