NYSC kidnap story: Burden of public trust, by Tonnie Iredia

Twenty (20) prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on their way to the Southeast for orientation and service year were kidnapped on October 1, 2026. Following their release some 6 days later, our traumatized country was greatly relieved. A report by the Imo state police command claimed that the corpers were rescued by a combined team of security operatives. Bearing in mind that such rescue operations had reportedly happened recently, many people praised our gallant forces. But a few days later, media reports surfaced suggesting that the rescue story was not completely reliable. In fact, within 2 days of the first report, a concerned parent disclosed that their family paid a ransom of six million naira (N6, 000, 000) for the release of their son by the abductors. If a public institution issues a categorical statement that is controverted by an individual who should the public believe?

Ordinarily, an official statement by a public authority especially the one under whose mandate the subject falls ought to be taken more seriously, but in Nigeria and indeed, in most emerging societies, history tells us that people have scanty faith in public bodies. In other words, if a poll were to be conducted on the subject, not many would support the official version. Even those who may decide not to formally respond to the poll would use sign language to indicate lack of faith in government.  It is difficult to blame such people because the prevailing culture in which public authorities take delight in misinformation has been virtually institutionalized. To start with, the colonial government from which Nigeria learnt the process of modern government was based on deceit.

Till today, no one knows the language that was used to get indigenous leaders to sign agreements with colonial officers. The story of the amalgamation of Nigeria has gotten more ludicrous with the realization that Nnamdi Azikiwe and other early educated leaders were infants when the treaty was signed. During the military era, our people surprisingly found that our soldiers were as corrupt if not more than the civilian leaders they toppled on account of corruption. The civilian administrations that we have had over the years have unwittingly established that any truth in whatever a politician says is based on luck. Why should anyone trust government? In the case of security, trust for government would be essentially tenuous. For example, although the highest law of the land says the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government, people in authority have since changed it to mean that security is everybody business.

During the Buhari administration, General Bashir Magashi the then Minister of Defence stated openly that the reason insecurity had become unbearable was because Nigerians were too cowardly in their response to kidnappers and other criminals. He didn’t think it was because government had failed in the task of confronting criminals. Since then, what has become established is that the higher the amount of money budgeted for security, the greater the level of insecurity. In reality, criminality would drop if those whose primary duty it is, to deal with the problem become more responsible and sincere in handling every type of insecurity. But because many people in power have come to believe that the best way to handle insecurity is to deceive the public through misinformation, people are killed daily without consequences. All that follows is governance by condolences.

This culture of everyone remaining silent when things go wrong had for long been extended to other spheres of life making it common place for no one to believe what is said. But in August 2026, a joint security operation reportedly freed as many as 308 Nigerians kidnapped in separate attacks across Kwara and Niger states. They were all said to have been found inside the Kainji Lake National Park Forest in New Bussa Local Government Area of Niger state. 163 of them had been taken from the Woro Community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, while the remaining 145 were abducted from Niger state. The nation stood in applause of our gallant forces. Exactly one month earlier, Nigeria’s Armed Fores had announced the rescue of more than 40 kidnapped victims and the arrest of over 20 suspected terrorists, collaborators and other criminal elements in coordinated operations across the country.

Other reports of hope made by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed that the military operations, conducted between July 10 and July 16, had led to the killing of several terrorists and the dismantling of criminal networks in different parts of the country. He also announced the rescue of a school principal, a National Examinations Council official and two students abducted during an attack on an examination centre in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. Most importantly, Onoja explained that sustained pressure from security forces compelled the kidnappers to abandon their victims. The General ended his report with what he called the intelligence-driven collaboration among security agencies, that led to the now famous rescue of 44 pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The number rescued, the location and methodology were all explained thereby giving credence to the reports.

As detailed as these reports on the rescue of abductees in different parts of the country looks like, there are cynics who doubt the veracity of the stories. If so, how does anyone expect Nigerians to believe the story of the rescue of 20 members of the NYSC in Imo state which has been instantly controverted? As far as the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is concerned, there is need for the Federal Government and security agencies to explain how the 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted in Imo State regained their freedom. HURIWA is of the opinion that Nigerians deserve to know whether the corps members were rescued by security forces or released following negotiations and payment of ransom. According to its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, whereas the safe return of the young Nigerians is a welcome development, the circumstances surrounding the release had raised questions that require clear answers from the authorities.

The questions the group is asking include the following: a) were the 20 prospective corps members “actually rescued by the security forces, or were they released after the payment of ransom?” b) was any suspected kidnapper identified, arrested, captured or neutralised in connection with the abduction? c) was there any negotiation with the abductors and if so by whom? HURIWA is bothered by the possibility of government presenting one narrative to Nigerians while concealing material facts about how citizens were actually freed, stressing that it is curious for a rescue operation to end with the victims returning safely while the perpetrators are left completely untouched. Nigerians according to HURIWA “are not asking for operational secrets. They are asking for the truth.” Telling the people the basic truth is at the heart of good governance. Once people have cause to suspect that some truths are concealed by government, every official statement faces the test of trustworthiness.

There are analysts who are not likely to believe the aspect that said the rescued victims were immediately taken to the Department of State Services (DSS) facility in Owerri, for medical attention. Why were they not taken to public facilities like the Federal Medical Centre? One report also said that the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, was also at the DSS clinic in Owerri to address the rescued victims. What did he tell them? In addition, the NYSC-DG was said to be in the company of the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Director DSS and Brigade Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, Imo State, but none of them said anything.  It was only the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma that was humane enough to react to the rescue. Could it be because the kidnap happened in his territory?  

In a statement personally signed by him, Uzodimma praised the security agencies for a job well done while also acknowledging the collaboration between the Oyo and Imo State governments in securing the release of the victims. Interestingly, Governor Seyi Makinde, the governor of the state of origin of the abductees said nothing. For a politician seeking to contest the forthcoming presidential election, Makinde’s silence is uncommon. Well, if the publicity was not good enough perhaps, we should, as usual blame the media. This is because in Nigeria, those in government do not trust our media professionals and although the constitution mandates the media to make government accountable to the people, our powerful leaders usually harass journalists who criticize government.

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