‘You Will Be Arrested for Cybercrime’, NYSC Warns Corps Members

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, has warned corps members across the country that they are fully subject to Nigeria’s cybercrime laws and can be arrested and prosecuted for online offences during their service year.

Nafiu gave the warning in Abuja on Thursday during an interview, stressing that participation in the National Youth Service does not exempt any corps member from legal responsibility under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.

He said corps members remain citizens of Nigeria and are therefore bound by the Constitution and all laws governing online conduct, including provisions on cyberbullying, defamation and digital harassment.

According to him, any allegation of cyber-related misconduct involving corps members will be duly investigated and handled by relevant law enforcement agencies.

“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 said.

“If someone says you cyberbullied him or her, the police will arrest you with your NYSC identity card, and you will bear that responsibility,” he added.

The DG further clarified that the NYSC is not responsible for providing legal representation to corps members who face criminal or civil charges arising from their online activities.

He, however, noted that the scheme collaborates with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria to ensure that affected corps members can access pro bono legal services where necessary during investigations and court proceedings.

Nafiu said the NYSC had intensified sensitisation programmes to educate corps members on responsible use of social media and digital platforms.

“The rule of the game has changed. You cannot just go online, calling out people because someone can accuse you of cyberbullying,” he said.

While acknowledging the growing popularity of content creation among young Nigerians, he said the scheme was not opposed to digital creativity but insisted it must be guided by responsibility and respect for 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 added.

He also disclosed that the NYSC would soon begin mobilising a new batch of graduates dominated by Generation Z, noting that the scheme is adapting to the realities of a more digitally active youth population.

Legal experts have in recent years raised concerns over rising cases of online harassment, misinformation and cyberbullying among young Nigerians, many of whom are active on social media platforms.

Nigeria’s cybercrime law provides penalties including fines and imprisonment for offences such as identity theft, cyberstalking and online defamation, which authorities say are increasingly being committed through digital platforms.

The NYSC has continued to emphasise discipline, civic responsibility and national unity since its establishment in 1973, with over 17 million graduates having passed through the scheme.