Nigeria was thrown into shock after pages allegedly extracted from the NYSC Handbook surfaced online, containing what many described as a “kidnapping survival manual” for corps members posted across the country. The document which has been widely circulated on Instagram and X outlines detailed instructions on how corps members should behave if kidnapped or taken hostage. For many Nigerians, it was the final proof that insecurity has been normalized at an institutional level. Although Nysc has come out to say it is fake and the said handbook didn’t come from them, many Nigerians have therefore testified that it was NYSC officials that gave them the handbook.
The advisory, titled “Advisory Action When Kidnapped or Taken Hostage,” lists tips that appear to train young Nigerians on submission, psychological endurance, and negotiation tactics, rather than assuring them of national protection. Below is the full list exactly as written in the document:
FULL LIST OF THE NYSC KIDNAPPING ADVISORY
If kidnapped, the following tips should prevail:
1. Do not resist armed kidnappers.
2. Keep calm and be patient.
3. Do not antagonize your captors; be polite and operate with reasonable regards. Give reasonable cooperation to your abductors.
4. Establish a personal relationship with your captors as early as possible.
5. The kidnappers may ask for contact persons, do not mention your place of work, but your close friends and parents. They will reach them to negotiate for your release.
6. Advise your friends involved in the negotiation, they should be friendly with your captors.
7. Be prepared for the natural reaction of the shock.
8. Mentally note all you can about your abductors and, if moved, the length of time in transit, directions, sounds, smells, and any other information.
9. Take no risk by attempting to escape. DO NOT BE A HERO.
10. Keep fit with mental exercise.
11. Make no statement to the media after your release without official clearance, but share your experience with close associates.
THE OUTCRY
To many Nigerians, reading this list felt like being confronted with a brutal, unspoken truth: instead of being protected, corps members are being taught to survive a kidnapping. The NYSC scheme, once celebrated as a patriotic journey of national unity, now appears to require that participants be mentally and physically prepared for abduction.
Social media exploded with shock as users questioned how a government could normalize kidnapping to this extent. Phrases like “This is not a country” trended across platforms, capturing the collective despair. Rather than offering security guarantees, the handbook advises corps members to build personal relationships with captors, avoid resistance, caution their friends during negotiation, and prepare for psychological trauma.
Many argued that these guidelines signify a silent admission of the government’s failure to protect its citizens especially the youth it mandates to serve in volatile environments. Others asked why such a document should even exist if national security agencies were functioning effectively.
The most jarring line “DO NOT BE A HERO” has become a symbol of the public’s frustration. To many, it signals a Nigeria where survival, not prevention, has become policy.
A REFLECTION OF A DEEPER SECURITY CRISIS
The viral document has reignited debates about the relevance of NYSC in today’s Nigeria, where kidnappings, banditry, and violent attacks have become daily threats. It raises tough questions:
Should youth service still be compulsory?
Should corps members be posted to high-risk zones?
Why should young Nigerians be trained to endure kidnapping rather than be assured of safety?
As calls for investigation intensify, one thing is clear: the public reaction is not just to a handbook, but to the painful reality it represents. A nation where kidnapping advisories must be printed in official manuals is a nation where trust in government security has eroded.
In the end, the NYSC kidnapping advisory is more than a viral image. It is a mirror reflecting fear, failure, and a country where even its brightest youth must be coached on how to survive captivity.
