The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has warned that corps members are fully liable under Nigeria’s cybercrime and social media laws and cannot hide behind their NYSC status when accused of online misconduct.

Speaking in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Nafiu stressed that service uniforms and identity cards do not confer immunity on any corps member who runs foul of regulations governing digital communication, cyberbullying or defamation.

He explained that corps members remain citizens of Nigeria and are therefore bound by the Constitution and all extant laws regulating online behaviour. Allegations of cyberbullying or related offences, he said, would be investigated and prosecuted by the appropriate security and judicial authorities, irrespective of the individual’s service status.

Nafiu made it clear that the NYSC is not funded or mandated to provide legal representation for corps members entangled in criminal or civil cases arising from their social media activities. At best, the scheme liaises with the Legal Aid Council, which may offer pro bono services in deserving cases and monitor court proceedings.

He urged young graduates to exercise restraint and responsibility online, warning that the era of casually “calling out” people on social media without consequences is over. The NYSC, he added, has intensified sensitisation campaigns in orientation camps and formations nationwide to educate corps members on the risks of reckless posts, comments and content creation.

Nafiu acknowledged that the scheme is now dealing almost exclusively with Generation Z graduates, many of whom are active content creators. While the NYSC is not opposed to content creation, he said, it insists that such activities must be lawful, contextual and respectful of the rights and reputations of others.

On election duties, the DG described corps members’ participation as ad hoc staff as a noble contribution to democratic governance, arguing that facilitating credible polls for millions of Nigerians is a higher form of civic engagement than merely casting a single ballot.

Nafiu also highlighted the impact of mobile clinics donated to the scheme for rural medical outreaches, noting that they have expanded access to basic healthcare in underserved communities, even as logistics and funding constraints limit their deployment to distant states.