Only 530 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have been deployed to Gombe state for the 2012 batch ‘A’ programme, due to current security challenges in the state, an official has said.

The state NYSC Coordinator, Igyuse Teryima, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Monday that the prevailing security situation led to the sharp drop.

A total of 1,700 corps members were deployed to the state under the batch `A’ programme last year.

“At the last orientation activities in the camp we had about 1,700 corps members posted to the state but this time around we are expecting only 530 corps members.

“The policy of the scheme is that where there is security threat to the lives and property of the corps members, the number will be reduced or they may not be posted at all depending on the security situation on ground.”

The coordinator assured that appropriate security arrangements had been made to secure all the corps members posted to the state during and after the orientation programme.

“As regards to the orientation camp, we have also done a lot in trying to put in place safety measures not just within the camp, but also along the road leading to the camp.

“We have requested for a large number of policemen to ensure safety, as we have been doing in the last two orientation camps.

“We are going to use personnel of the anti-bomb squad of the Nigerian Police before the commencement of the camp and during orientation,” he said.

He urged members of the national Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to assist newly posted corps members to reach the orientation camp on time.