Thousands of prospective corps members and their families are anxious as the National Youth Service Corps begins its 2026 Batch A (Stream 1) orientation exercise nationwide, with particular concern over deployments to states battling banditry, kidnappings and bomb scares.
From Zamfara and Kaduna to Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Katsina, corps members heading to the 21-day orientation camps face long and uneasy journeys, even as officials insist security arrangements are in place.
The apprehension comes amid a recent surge in terrorist attacks, killings, mass abductions and bomb scares across northern Nigeria.
In a statement issued Jan. 6, the NYSC said the Batch A (Stream 1) orientation would begin Wednesday, Jan. 21, at all 37 orientation camps across the country.
The scheme announced in September 2025 that about 650,000 graduates would be mobilized across all streams in 2026, up from about 400,000 deployed in 2025. Only about 40% of those registered are expected to take part in the current stream, with the rest scheduled for later batches.
Recent media reports have identified Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Yobe and Borno as hotspots of bandit attacks, terrorism and abductions.
While official deployment figures have yet to be released, about 8,000 corps members are projected to participate in the orientation exercise across the high-risk states, according to information gathered by The PUNCH.
Yobe State on Friday swore in about 1,200 corps members. Kaduna is expected to host about 2,000, while Katsina is projected to receive about 2,050.
Zamfara State NYSC Coordinator Muhammad Ahmed said about 600 corps members are expected in the state. Sokoto and Kebbi states are projected to host about 1,900 and 1,700 corps members, respectively.
