A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Lagos State, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, popularly known on social media as “Raye,” has claimed she is being victimised for openly criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Uguamaye first attracted attention earlier this year after a viral TikTok video in which she condemned the Tinubu government and described Lagos as a “smelling state.”
In a recent video posted on Instagram, she alleged that her Local Government Inspector (LGI) refused to clear her for the month of April, despite her presence on the scheduled date. According to her, she was repeatedly asked to “go to the back” and was eventually ignored, with her file seized before being ordered to leave.
She said she was later told she would be denied her NYSC certificate for allegedly missing April’s clearance, a claim she insists is false.
“I honestly wish I wasn’t serving in Lagos State; it has been a complete waste of my time,” she wrote online, adding that she had decided to put the matter behind her.
Human rights activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore has also weighed in, accusing the NYSC of retaliating against Uguamaye over her criticism of the government.
“It is with deep sadness and renewed outrage that I address the ongoing injustice against Raye,” Sowore wrote on Facebook. He vowed to keep advocating until justice is served, not only for her but for all Nigerians allegedly denied their rights by what he called an oppressive system.
Sowore further alleged that Uguamaye’s activism contributed to pressure on authorities to raise corps members’ monthly allowance to ₦77,000, describing the reported certificate denial as “an injustice of the highest order.”
