Nigeria’s compulsory youth service scheme has been drawn into a political storm after allegations that a corps member’s discharge certificate was withheld in retaliation for criticising the government.
Ushie Rita Uguamaye, widely known as “Raye” on TikTok, made headlines earlier in the year for a video criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration and labelling Lagos a “smelling state.” She now claims that her comments led to a punitive extension of her service year.
According to her account, during the April 2025 clearance process her Local Government Inspector repeatedly sent her to the back of the line before confiscating her file, refusing to process it, and marking her absent. She said she was later told her certificate would be withheld for missing the clearance — an accusation she insists is baseless.
The claims prompted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to wade in, questioning why the certificate had not been issued one year after she completed service and warning against politicising the NYSC process.
Responding to the uproar, NYSC’s Director of Information Caroline Embu said Ms Uguamaye’s case was “no different from others” and that her two-month service extension was due to non-attendance at the April biometric clearance. She noted that 130 other corps members had their certificates withheld for similar reasons, in accordance with NYSC bye-laws.
Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has vowed to challenge the NYSC’s decision, describing it as a “gross injustice” and pledging to fight for Ms Uguamaye’s “justice.”
The dispute has amplified debates over free expression, discipline within the NYSC, and the fine line between enforcing regulations and silencing dissent.
