Get Guardian on GoogleThe Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, has sought the Nigerian Army’s support to ensure the safety of corps members who will serve as ad hoc personnel during the 2027 general election.
Nafiu said corps members would be deployed to assist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in conducting the elections, stressing the need to protect them before, during and after the exercise.
He made the appeal during a visit to the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, whom he congratulated on his appointment.
The NYSC chief commended the GOC for his concern for the welfare of corps members serving within the division and his commitment to training and mentoring young officers.
He also appreciated the division for providing a secure environment for the scheme’s operations in Lagos and Ogun states, attributing the security situation in the two states to the diligence, professionalism and experience of the military and other security agencies.
Nafiu disclosed that Lagos accommodates about 20 per cent of the corps population nationwide, with between 45,000 and 48,000 members deployed to the state yearly.
He said Lagos and Ogun were among the few states where the scheme deployed corps members to all local councils, while security challenges had prevented similar deployments in some other states.
According to a statement by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, Nafiu said the scheme had continued to leverage the secure environment provided by the division to carry out its responsibilities.
Responding, Babalola described Nafiu’s appointment as well deserved and commended the NYSC Lagos State Secretariat for its sustained support to the military formation.
He pledged the division’s continued support for the scheme, saying the security of corps members remained a priority. He also described those serving within the division as well behaved, attributing this to the leadership, guidance and mentorship of NYSC officials.
The GOC assured Nafiu that the partnership between the division and the NYSC Lagos State Secretariat would be further strengthened.
