Toyyibat Qasim
The Senate has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the death of a National Youth Service Corps member, Etimbuk Daniel, at the NYSC orientation camp in Enugu State, amid concerns over the state of medical facilities and emergency healthcare services in camps nationwide.
The upper chamber also directed relevant committees to examine the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s death and determine whether delays in providing medical attention contributed to the tragedy.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Senator Aniekan Bassey, who called for an urgent review of medical services in NYSC orientation camps across the country.
According to Channels Television, the investigation will be conducted by the Senate Committees on Police Affairs, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, Youth Development, and Health, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services.
The lawmakers expressed concern over reports that Daniel, described as a vibrant and patriotic young Nigerian, died from complications arising from what was reportedly a minor headache after allegedly experiencing delays in receiving adequate medical attention at the camp clinic.
The incident has raised questions about the availability of qualified medical personnel, functional health facilities and effective emergency response mechanisms in NYSC orientation camps.
The Senate warned that the tragedy could point to broader systemic problems, including inadequate medical infrastructure, alleged negligence and the absence of effective emergency referral arrangements in some camps.
The lawmakers stressed that the Federal Government and relevant authorities have a responsibility to protect the lives and well-being of young graduates deployed away from their homes to participate in the mandatory national service scheme.
They noted that corps members should not be exposed to avoidable health risks while fulfilling their national obligations, insisting on the need to ensure that orientation camps have the medical capacity to respond promptly to emergencies.
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