Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday, visited the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) headquarters in Abuja to press for the release of the discharge certificate belonging to corps member Ushie Rita Uguamaye, widely known as “Raye.”
Sowore was accompanied by other activists, including human rights lawyer and Raye’s legal representative, Inibehe Effiong.
In a post on his X account on Monday, Sowore said the visit was to ensure Raye received her certificate, insisting he would not allow what he described as an injustice to go unchallenged.
“By 9 a.m. tomorrow, we will be at the NYSC headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, to collect the discharge certificate of Corps Member Ushie Rita Uguamaye, ‘Raye,’ who has successfully completed her service year,” he stated.
Raye had earlier accused the NYSC of holding back her certificate because she criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The NYSC denied the claim, explaining that the delay was due to her absence from the mandatory biometric clearance in April 2025. In a statement on Sunday, the organisation described the allegation of political retaliation as “false,” noting that Raye was one of 131 corps members whose certificates were withheld for “valid disciplinary reasons.”
According to the NYSC, her service year was extended by two months in line with its Bye-Laws for failing to attend the clearance, stressing that the rule was applied equally to all affected corps members and was not targeted at her personally.
