Nigerian youth service warns against fake redeployment notice

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Nigeria has issued a strong warning against a fraudulent notice circulating online, which falsely claims a special window for corps members' redeployment is now open. The scheme officially declared the notice as fake news on its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.

The deceptive notice, presented as an "URGENT NOTICE: NYSC REDEPLOYMENT," targeted "Parents/Guardians" and cited "issues of National Security, Health, and State of the Nation" as reasons for opening the redeployment window. It urged corps members with "genuine grounds" to apply promptly for safety and proper placement, and provided two phone numbers for assistance, demanding "valid documents."

In response, the NYSC's National Directorate Headquarters used its official X handle, @officialnyscng, to flag the message with a "Disclaimer" and a prominent "FAKE NEWS" watermark. This action aims to prevent unsuspecting corps members and their families from falling victim to the scam.

This is not the first instance of fraudsters exploiting the NYSC redeployment process. The scheme, currently led by Director-General Olakunle Nafiu, has repeatedly cautioned the public that all deployment and redeployment matters are handled exclusively through official NYSC portals and offices. The NYSC does not authorize any agents or phone-based processing for such requests. Corps members and the public are advised to always verify communications through official NYSC channels before taking any action or making payments.