By Ahmed Ahmed
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Coordinator in Borno, Malam Nasir Bello, has warned corps members against drug abuse, drug peddling, cultism and internet fraud during their service year.
Bello gave the warning on Tuesday in Maiduguri at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Batch C Stream I orientation course, attended by 1,056 corps members.
He urged the corps members to avoid associating with individuals or groups capable of corrupting their morals, stressing the need to maintain discipline and uphold the values of the NYSC scheme.
“Do not hang around persons who are cultists, internet fraudsters (Yahoo boys), drug abusers and peddlers, or persons of questionable character,” he said.
The coordinator congratulated the corps members on successfully completing the three-week orientation programme, commending their resilience, commitment and adherence to camp rules and regulations.
He urged them to accept their postings to their Places of Primary Assignment in good faith and demonstrate exemplary conduct as ambassadors of the scheme, their families and their institutions of graduation.
Bello also encouraged them to build on the skills acquired through the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme by seeking further training to enhance self-reliance and economic independence.
He charged the corps members to identify the needs of their host communities and embark on meaningful Community Development Service (CDS) projects that would improve residents’ living conditions.
The coordinator cautioned them against unnecessary journeys and risky behaviour, urging them to remain security-conscious and report suspicious activities to security agencies.
He also advised corps members to use the NYSC toll-free distress call centre, 6972, to report emergencies and security threats.
Bello expressed appreciation to Gov. Babagana Zulum and security agencies for supporting NYSC activities in the state.
He wished the corps members a successful service year and formally declared the orientation course closed.
