The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps members that they are not immune from arrest or prosecution for cybercrime-related offences during their service year.
Speaking in Abuja, Nafiu stressed that corps members remain citizens of Nigeria and are fully subject to the country’s laws, including regulations governing online activities, social media use and cyber conduct.
“The fact that they are corps members does not absolve them from being citizens bound by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
The NYSC boss explained that allegations of cyberbullying or other cyber-related offences involving corps members would be investigated by law enforcement agencies, with offenders facing the legal consequences of their actions.
“If someone says you cyberbullied him or her, the police will arrest you with your NYSC identity card, and you will bear that responsibility,” Nafiu stated.
He also clarified that the NYSC is not responsible for providing legal representation to corps members involved in criminal or civil cases arising from their online activities.
“I am not funded to provide legal representation for you in court,” he added.
However, Nafiu noted that the Legal Aid Council may offer free legal assistance to corps members where necessary during investigations or court proceedings.
The DG revealed that the scheme has intensified awareness campaigns to educate corps members on responsible use of social media and digital communication platforms.
“The rule of the game has changed. You cannot just go online calling out people because someone can accuse you of cyberbullying,” he warned.
While acknowledging the popularity of content creation among young Nigerians, Nafiu said the NYSC supports creativity but expects corps members to act responsibly and remain within the bounds of the law.
“We know this generation loves content creation, and we are not against content, but there must be proper context and responsible engagement,” he said.
