Mohammed Adam
A Local Government Inspector (LGI) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Roni, Jigawa State, has been implicated in an extortion scheme targeting Corps Members posted to schools within the local government area.
Our investigation revealed that the NYSC official, responsible for overseeing NYSC activities in Roni, has been involved in a scheme where Corps Members unwilling to serve at their assigned schools are coerced into paying N10,000 monthly to remain off duty.
This arrangement appears to be prevalent across several schools, with one school notably involved.
Ahmed Yusuf, an ex-Corps Member who recently completed his service in Roni, shared his experience: “When I was posted to the school, the vice principal asked if I was willing to stay and serve. When I hesitated, I was instructed to pay N10,000 monthly,” Yusuf recalled. “The vice principal mentioned that the Local Government Inspector had approved the collection of these payments, with a portion of the money sent back to her. It was either pay or risk having issues with my service year.”
Another Corps Member, preferring to remain anonymous, confirmed the arrangement: “I was required to deposit N10,000 monthly into an Access Bank account with account number 1687546201 belonging to Yakubu Ahmed, the vice principal of Roni Secondary School Arewa,” the source stated. “When I questioned what would happen if the Local Government Inspector conducted a supervision visit, the vice principal assured me that the inspector was fully aware and had approved the practice. It made me feel like I had no choice but to comply.”
The scheme also extended to the Community Development Service (CDS), a mandatory aspect of the NYSC program. Corps Members unwilling to participate in CDS activities were reportedly required to pay an additional N2,000 monthly into an Opay account (8144945200) controlled by the former Corps Liaison Officer (CLO), Sheriff Amoto Isah.
One of the affected Corps Members lamented, “The CDS was supposed to be a chance for us to contribute to the community, but instead, it became another way for them to exploit us. I was made to feel like paying the fee was my only way out.”
At Roni Secondary School Arewa, where 46 Corps Members were posted, only five stayed to serve, while the others reportedly paid the required fees to avoid service.
Efforts to reach Jigawa State NYSC officials for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
