The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps members to comply with Nigeria’s social media and cybercrime laws during their service year, stressing that participation in the scheme does not place them above the law.
Nafiu gave the warning during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, where he said corps members remain full citizens of the country and are therefore subject to constitutional provisions regulating online behaviour and public conduct.
According to him, allegations of cyberbullying or online misconduct involving corps members would be investigated and handled by law enforcement agencies in line with extant laws, regardless of their NYSC status.
“The fact that they are corps members does not absolve them from being citizens bound by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Nafiu stated, warning that the NYSC would not provide legal representation for corps members facing prosecution over online activities.
He explained that while the scheme may liaise with the Legal Aid Council to monitor legal proceedings and offer limited support where necessary, corps members would bear personal responsibility for their actions on social media.
The NYSC boss said the agency had intensified sensitisation campaigns aimed at educating corps members on responsible social media use amid growing concerns over cyberbullying, fake news and online harassment.
Nafiu also clarified that the NYSC is not against content creation by corps members but insisted that such engagements must be responsible, lawful and devoid of inflammatory or partisan content.
He further urged corps members expected to participate as ad hoc staff in the 2027 general elections to remain apolitical and avoid using social media for political attacks or divisive commentary.
