Extra Year of NYSC Could Curb Security Crisis

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has suggested that members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) should undergo military training on how to handle guns for self-defence.

He made this statement on Wednesday night in reference to the rising cases of insecurity in the country.

In the interview with Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, Ishaku also said that the duration of the scheme should increase from one to two years. This is to allow robust training for the graduates. Likewise, he mentioned that citizens should be permitted to carry arms and defend themselves against attackers.

In his words,

“When the security can’t protect you, then something in the alternative must come in. We must be practical. Train people, give them practical induction, let them know what to do.

“The NYSC I will say should be two years. One year for compulsory military training and the other year for the social work that they are doing now. So that anybody who graduates as an NYSC person can know how to handle the gun, can know how to defend himself just like it is done in Israel, Lebanon and other places. ”

Darius Ishaku on 07 July 2021

A few weeks ago, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim made a similar statement and it caused an uproar among the youth.

The NYSC headquarters insists that Ibrahim’s words were misinterpreted. And they wasted no time in clarifying their stance via Facebook.

On the sponsoring of banditry

The governor believes that the bandits and terrorists causing mayhem in the North-East are sponsored.

He continued, “There are sponsors. These are brand new AK-47s. How would a local man buy such an expensive weapon? It is in a video all over the place where someone confesses that the guns are given to them. And they are trained on how to use them. It is the work of the security agents to get to the root of this.”

“If they can go out of this country and capture somebody who is declaring independence, why is it impossible for them to defend our people who are being killed in the farms?” Ishaku asked.

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However, he said that he is optimistic that the insecurity situation in the country can be conquered. More so, this will only be possible when the political class and security agents are firm and ready to curb the menace.

Many disagree with the opinion of the governor. Some of the reasons centre around the fact that many southerners are deployed to the north for service. This puts the lives of the NYSC members at risk.

Governor Ishaku says, “You must engage your citizens to be proactive. When you cannot provide security, you must allow the people to protect themselves. “

With the suggestion of military training for corps members, it is evident that the end to Nigeria’s security crisis is nowhere in sight. Hence, the country’s leaders must put in extra efforts to equip the country’s security departments. This will help to foster law and order in the country.