The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed deep outrage and grief over the killing of a 26-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Chidiebere Orji, who lost his life in a bomb explosion in Maiduguri, even as the group renewed its call for a comprehensive overhaul (or outright abolition) of the scheme it says has failed to protect Nigerian youths.
Chidiebere, an indigene of Amurri in Enugu State, was among several victims of the deadly blast that rocked parts of the insurgency-hit city last week.
His remains were laid to rest in his hometown amid tears, anguish, and growing public anger over what many described as a preventable tragedy.
In a strongly worded statement, HURIWA said the death of the young corps member highlights the persistent dangers faced by participants of the National Youth Service Corps, especially those deployed to volatile regions without adequate security guarantees.
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The rights group recalled that the NYSC scheme was established in 1973 in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War with core objectives including fostering national unity, promoting cultural integration, encouraging youth participation in national development, and bridging ethnic divides.
However, HURIWA argued that nearly five decades later, these objectives have largely failed to materialize in any meaningful or measurable way.
According to the group, instead of serving as a platform for unity and development, the NYSC has increasingly become a system that exposes young graduates to grave risks, including terrorism, kidnapping, and fatal road accidents.
HURIWA noted that numerous corps members have been abducted in recent years by armed groups, sometimes held for months without decisive intervention from authorities, while others have died in road mishaps linked to poor travel arrangements and lack of institutional support.
The association criticized what it described as 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.