Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to immediately release the discharge certificate of Lagos-based corps member Ushie Uguamayei popularly known online as Raye following its reported seizure.
According to Falana, the NYSC’s decision to withhold Raye’s certificate in response to her public criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies is both unlawful and a misuse of power.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Falana described the NYSC’s action as a “cheap demonstration of overzealousness,” adding that no court of competent jurisdiction had authorized such a move.
“It reminds one of the 1988 case involving Bamidele Aturu (of blessed memory), whose NYSC certificate was withheld after he refused to accept the Best Corper Award because he didn’t want to shake hands with the military Governor of Niger State, Lt. Col. Lawan Gwadabe,” Falana said. “That was during the Babangida military regime, when human rights were routinely violated.”
Falana emphasized that Nigeria, now a democracy, protects the right to free expression under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution. He also cited President Tinubu’s own Democracy Day speech, in which the President cautioned public officials against silencing critics.
“The President stated clearly: ‘No one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me names.’ The NYSC should align itself with that principle by immediately releasing Rita Uguamayei’s certificate,” Falana added.
Raye became a viral figure after a video she posted on TikTok (@talktoraye) in which she voiced her frustrations over Nigeria’s deteriorating economic conditions.
In the video, she criticized the government’s failure to address inflation and poverty and described President Tinubu as a “terrible leader.”
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