Founder of Kingsway International Christian Centre, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, has called on the Federal Government to integrate National Youth Service Corps members into Nigeria’s community-based security-awareness structure. He said doing so would strengthen early detection of potential threats and enhance grassroots safety efforts across the country.
Speaking in a Thursday interview with Channels Television, Ashimolowo stressed that Nigeria must widen citizen participation in national security initiatives. According to him, NYSC members should be trained to recognise early warning signs in their communities, noting that basic awareness alone could help prevent crimes before they occur.
“All our NYSC guys, community service – we should train all of them to be aware. They see somebody just smoking hemp, not even committing any crime as yet. Then the security level will increase,” he said, emphasising that the corps members remain one of Nigeria’s most accessible community-level human resources.
Ashimolowo expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s recent directives to expand law enforcement and military deployments in response to rising insecurity. He maintained that the country needs a complete security turnaround, urging citizens to rally behind the President’s renewed push for stronger policing and broader security measures.
To explain the value of a national culture of vigilance, he cited Israel’s mandatory military service model. He noted that the country’s early training of young people plays a key role in its national defense strategy and could serve as an inspiration for Nigeria. “Anytime I go to Israel, I’m amazed. Israel’s army is for 18-year-olds. You serve in the Israeli army from 18 to 22,” he said.
However, Ashimolowo cautioned against the uncontrolled implementation of state police. While acknowledging its potential benefits, he warned that political actors could easily misuse such structures for intimidation or personal agendas. “State police may work, but I tell you, it will end up becoming the personal army of somebody who will begin to use it at some point to terrorise others,” he said.
He added that Nigeria’s history shows how some individuals in authority misuse power, stressing that safeguards must be put in place before any decentralised policing system is introduced. “This is Nigeria, and we have seen people who have misunderstood that word ‘executive’ behind their title. They execute what they should not execute,” he warned.
The cleric also expressed concern over the susceptibility of Nigeria’s youth population to criminal recruitment. With over 60 percent of the country’s population under the age of 30, he argued that many young people may be tempted by the large ransoms linked to kidnapping. “They kidnap a few people, you negotiate, and they pay you 50 million. Money you cannot earn with a master’s or with a PhD,” he said.
Ashimolowo stressed that building national pride and strengthening economic opportunities are essential steps toward reducing youth involvement in crime. He said Nigerians are widely admired across Africa and urged citizens to live up to that positive image. “They think we are the toughest, strongest, boldest,” he said, recalling his interactions during recent travels across the continent.
He concluded by expressing renewed hope in Nigeria’s leadership, stating that the country has the capacity and intellectual resources to overcome its current security challenges. “This is the nation we have, and I believe we have a leadership that wants to make things work. Let’s support him. Let’s be behind him,” he added.
Ashimolowo’s proposals come amid his broader critique of successive administrations’ inability to end terrorism after more than 15 years. He has also consistently raised concerns about what he views as the increasing vulnerability of Christians in parts of the country, drawing from personal experiences of violence during his childhood in Zaria, Kaduna State.
