Several prospective corps members, mobilized for the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, have found themselves stranded at the Kusalla orientation camp in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to an anonymous source within the camp who spoke with Daily Trust, these individuals were denied entry due to their late arrival.
Many of the stranded corps members reportedly came from the far eastern and southern states, where they likely faced travel delays and challenges on their way to the northern state.
This situation has caused significant frustration among the prospective corps members, many of whom had traveled long distances to fulfill their national duty.
Despite their efforts to reach the camp, they were not permitted to join the orientation process, leading to uncertainty about their immediate future in the programme.
One source said, “It’s really sad that we went through a rigorous process to get here only to be refused entry. Some of us received our call-up letters very late and spent two or three days on the road to get here.
“We are now stranded — about 100 of us — not knowing what will happen next.”
Another corps member shared, “I arrived at camp on Thursday, the second day of resumption. Our vehicle broke down along the way, so I didn’t reach Kano until around 1 am. I had to spend the day in Kano.
“The next day, a moving vehicle smashed my phone, damaging it. All my documents were stored on the phone, so I had to get it fixed, which took another day.
“I arrived at camp that day around 11 pm, but everyone had gone to bed, and there was no one to attend to us, unlike in other camps where they register people throughout the night, as we heard from other colleagues.
“Now, they told us yesterday that the portal has been closed from Abuja. Some of us don’t even have money to eat now. Some of the females are crying. We really need help.”
They are now urgently calling on the relevant authorities to intervene, as they find themselves in a state of confusion and distress.