The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has refuted the authenticity of a pamphlet circulating online that suggests corps members should pay ransom if kidnapped, stating that the material is fake and does not represent its security policy.
The NYSC management clarified that although a consultant proposed a similar safety document in 2021, it was never approved or adopted by the scheme.
In a statement issued on its official handle on Thursday, the Corps stressed that the material now in circulation is not an official NYSC publication and should be completely disregarded.
“The attention of the Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has been drawn to a purported NYSC pamphlet advising corps members to pay ransom in the event of kidnapping,” the statement read.
The clarification follows the resurfacing of the controversial pamphlet online, which has reignited public concerns about Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, particularly the rising cases of kidnapping.
The pamphlet first came into public discourse in September 2021, when screenshots of its content circulated widely on social media. It advised travellers on “high-risk roads” to inform “family, friends, or colleagues” who could be available to “pay off the ransom that could be demanded” if they were abducted.
At the time, the NYSC initially dismissed the pamphlet as fake but later confirmed that some variations of the document had been shared, leading to an internal inquiry to determine how it was produced.
The latest reappearance of the document comes amid heightened national tension, following recent abductions in Kwara State and escalating international reactions, including reported threats by U.S. President Donald Trump of possible military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
