Amnesty International and some prominent Nigerians are irked by the action of by National Youth Service Corps in withholding the discharge certificate and extending by two months the service year of Lagos corps member, Rita Uguamaye popularly known as “Raye”, despite completing her one-year national service.
In a statement on Sunday, the organisation said the move appeared linked to Raye’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies on social media, calling on the NYSC to immediately reverse its decision.
Straightnews had published after Raye publicly criticised President Bola Tinubu as a terrible President and accused his administration of worsening economic conditions in Nigeria.
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She had, in a viral video shared on her TikTok account, @talktoraye, expressed frustration over Nigeria’s economic conditions, lamenting the rising inflation and economic hardship.
The Global body described the NYSC’s action as “unacceptable intolerance of dissenting voices” and an attempt to punish free expression.
“The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) must rescind its arbitrary and outrageous decision to deny Rita Ushie, widely known as Raye, her NYSC discharge certificate upon completion of a year of national service to the nation. This shows unacceptable intolerance of dissenting voices,” Amnesty International said.
“The flagrant decision to withhold her certificate may not be unconnected with her comments on social media, on the widespread economic hardship as a result of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies.
“It is perfectly within her right to express discontent peacefully. Instead of punishing her by withholding her NYSC certificate for her opinions on rampant inflation, the authorities should prioritise addressing the country’s escalating economic woes.
“The Nigerian authorities must stop responding with abuse of power and intimidation to individuals and groups who express dissenting opinions — in utter disregard for the Nigerian constitution and international law. Holding and voicing dissenting views is not a crime.”
Amnesty International said millions of Nigerians are increasingly unable to meet basic needs such as food, education, and healthcare due to government policies introduced since May 2023.
Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore also condemned the decision, vowing to continue the fight until justice is served. He accused the authorities of targeting Raye to silence her criticism and suppress public dissent.
Sowore credited Raye’s courage with pushing the NYSC to increase corps members’ monthly allowance to ₦77,000, pledging: “We will not abandon her. Her fight is our fight.”
The NYSC had previously extended her service year by two months, reportedly as punishment for her social media posts — a move widely condemned by civil rights groups and many Nigerians.
Similarly, the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has demanded that the Raye’s certificate be issued to her.
“What manner of impunity is this? Everything should not be subjected to politics. “I hope that Ushie Rita Uguamaye’s NYSC discharge certificate is not being withheld because she had the courage to complain about the economic hardship under the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
“It is unacceptable that the young lady, who had served her country without queries, should not have received her National Youth Service Corps certificate one year after passing out.
“The appropriate authorities should take urgent steps to ensure that she gets her discharge certificate,” he stated.
What manner of impunity is this? Everything should not be subjected to politics. I hope that Ushie Rita Uguamaye’s NYSC discharge certificate is not being withheld because she had the courage to complain about the economic hardship under the President Bola Tinubu-led…— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) August 10, 2025
Also, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, criticised the NYSC over the decison to withhold the Discharge Certificate of a Lagos youth corps member, Ushie Uguamayei, better known as Raye.
While Falana described the NYSC’s action as overzealousness, Atiku labelled the moves as impunity.
Falana called the seizure of the NYSC Discharge Certificate “illegal, as it was not authorised by any competent court”.
“Indeed, it is a sad reminder of the confiscation of the NYSC Discharge Certificate of Bamidele Aturu (of blessed memory) in 1988 by the NYSC Management for rejecting the best Corper Award on the ground that he did not want to shake hands with the military Governor of Niger State, Lt. Col. Lawan Gwadabe. That was under the Ibrahim Babangida military junta when human rights were put in abeyance.
“Since Nigeria is under a democratic government, Rita Uguamayei’s fundamental right to criticise the government is guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
It is pertinent to remind the NYSC Authorities of the Democracy Day Speech of President Bola Tinubu, wherein public officers were cautioned against suppressing dissent and that silencing critical voices could lead to unrest and undermine democracy.
“The President declared, ‘While slander and libel must not go unaddressed, no one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me.’ In line with the commitment of the President to encourage Nigerians to criticise the government, the Management of the National Youth Service Corps should release the NYSC Discharge Certificate of Rita Uguamaye without any further delay.”
NYSC Withholds Raye’s discharge certificate, extends her service year
The National Youth Service Corps has withheld the certificate of Lagos corps member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, extending her service year by two months.
In a statement on X on Sunday, the service wrote that Miss Uguamaye (State Code: LA/24B/8325), popularly known as “Raye,” was disciplined for her absence during the April 2025 clearance.
NYSC also debunked claims that the corps member was being targeted for being critical of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Contrary to false claims that she was denied a Certificate of National Service (CNS) due to critical remarks about the government, this assertion is entirely unfounded and false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Rita is among the 131 Corps Members whose Certificates of National Service (CNS), were withheld for valid disciplinary reasons. Specifically, Rita’s service year has been extended by two months for failing to attend the April 2025 biometrics clearance, a decision that aligns with the NYSC Bye-Laws.
“It is important to note that this extension is a standard procedure and not unique to her case, and the principle of equal treatment was only applied in this case.”
The service explained that such extensions were a standard procedure applied uniformly, with no political motive involved, adding that similar sanctions had long been imposed on corps members who failed to meet clearance obligations.
“It is important to note that this extension is a standard procedure and not unique to her case, and the principle of equal treatment was only applied in this case,” the statement added.
