GOMBE, Nigeria (AP) — The National Youth Service Corps has directed two corps members in Gombe State to repeat their mandatory one-year service after they were found guilty of misconduct, officials said during a passing out ceremony that marked the end of the service year for hundreds of participants.
The announcement was made during the 2025 Batch A Stream II passing out parade, a moment typically reserved for celebration as corps members receive their discharge certificates after completing national service.
State Coordinator Ada Imoni said the decision followed disciplinary procedures under the scheme’s regulations. She stressed that the NYSC maintains strict standards of conduct for participants posted across the country. “The scheme does not condone acts of indiscipline,” she said. “Those who fail to abide by the rules will face the consequences.”
Officials did not disclose the specific infractions committed by the two affected corps members, but confirmed that the punishment requires them to restart the full one-year program before they can qualify for discharge.
For the majority of participants, the ceremony ended on a celebratory note. More than 1,200 corps members in Gombe completed their service year and received certificates, with officials praising their contributions to schools, health centers, and community development projects across the state.
The passing out parade drew families, friends, and officials who gathered to mark what is often seen as a milestone in Nigeria’s post university journey, a nationwide service program designed to foster unity by deploying graduates away from their home regions.
But for the two sanctioned corps members, the moment carried a different weight. Instead of stepping into post service opportunities, they now face the prospect of starting the year long program again from the beginning.
Established in 1973, the NYSC requires Nigerian graduates under 30 to complete a year of compulsory national service, a system that places young people in communities across the country to work in education, healthcare, agriculture, and other sectors.
