Olakunle Nafiu, director-general (DG) of the National Youth Service Corps, says serving corps members are not exempt from Nigeria’s cybercrime law during their mandatory national service year.
NAN reports that Nafiu spoke in Abuja on Thursday during an interview, where he noted that corps members are citizens and are bound by the constitution and other extant laws regulating online conduct, cyber activities, and public behaviour.
Nafiu said allegations of cyberbullying involving corps members would be investigated and handled by relevant law enforcement agencies in line with the law.
He also said the NYSC is not mandated to provide legal representation for corps members involved in criminal or civil matters arising from social media activities and other online engagements.
“The fact that they are corps members does not absolve them from being citizens bound by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he 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.
“I am not funded to provide legal representation for you in court. What we do is engage the Legal Aid Council to monitor proceedings.”
He added that the Legal Aid Council could provide pro bono legal services to corps members where necessary, particularly in situations requiring legal support during investigations or court proceedings.
Nafiu said the scheme had intensified sensitisation campaigns to educate corps members on the use of social media and digital communication platforms.
“The rules of the game have changed. You cannot just go online calling out people because someone can accuse you of cyberbullying,” he noted.
While noting that the NYSC does not oppose content creation, the DG said the scheme encourages corps members to behave responsibly and lawfully online.
“By the end of this year, we will be mobilising only ‘Generation Z’ graduates, and we understand the environment they operate in,” he said.
“We know this generation loves content creation, and we are not against content, but there must be proper context and responsible engagement.”
