By Adesakin Adefemi
The National Youth Service Corps has blacklisted three Local Government Areas in Kebbi State from corps member postings and requested relocation of its orientation camp, citing a surge in banditry and terrorist attacks by Lakurawa insurgents. The directive was announced Tuesday by Kebbi NYSC Coordinator, Bala Kagarko, at the temporary camp in Basura, Jega LGA.
According to Kagarko, corps members will no longer be posted to Augie, Arewa, and Sakaba LGAs “for the safety of corps members”. The decision follows repeated attacks in the border communities, with Arewa LGA recording the killing of at least 20 people in Fasken Rafi village last week by suspected Lakurawa gunmen.
The security crisis has drastically reduced Kebbi’s corps member population. Kagarko said the state now has the lowest number of corps members in Nigeria, leaving hospitals without doctors and schools without teachers. “We no longer have enough doctors to post to state hospitals, and there are not enough corps members to deploy to schools and other areas where they are needed,” he told journalists.
The NYSC is also seeking to move its orientation camp from Dakingari in Suru LGA to a safer location within the state. The current camp was converted to a temporary facility in Basura, Jega LGA, after repeated security breaches. “For the safety of corps members, we are no longer posting them to… areas” affected, Kagarko stressed.
The Lakurawa insurgents, a violent group operating along the Nigeria-Niger border, have intensified attacks in Kebbi’s northern LGAs in recent months. The June 10 assault on Fasken Rafi in Arewa LGA, which left 20 residents dead, prompted the state government to describe the incident as “tragic” and send a delegation led by Deputy Governor Umar Tafida.
Tafida, who visited the affected community on Saturday, assured residents that the Kebbi government remains committed to tackling insecurity and protecting lives and property. He conveyed condolences to families of victims and pledged stronger collaboration with security agencies to flush out the insurgents.
The NYSC coordinator said several appeals have been made to federal and state authorities to address the security gaps, but response has been slow. With fewer corps members available, critical sectors like health and education in rural Kebbi are bearing the brunt of manpower shortages.
The development mirrors a wider pattern of insecurity disrupting national service across northern Nigeria. States bordering Niger and Mali have seen similar relocations of NYSC camps and restrictions on postings as insurgent groups exploit porous borders to launch attacks on civilians.
Security analysts warn that unless coordinated military operations dismantle Lakurawa cells, Kebbi risks deeper developmental setbacks. For now, the NYSC’s decision prioritises corps member safety over service deployment, but it leaves vulnerable communities without the young graduates who drive grassroots development in education, health, and agriculture.
