Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that Ushie Uguamaye, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over economic hardship, is under intense pressure to issue a public apology.
Sowore, who accompanied Uguamaye to the NYSC Local Government Inspector’s office in Lagos on Monday alongside a team of lawyers, claimed that government officials, including ministers, had reached out in attempts to coerce her into retracting her statements.
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday night, Sowore defended the corps member, asserting that she had committed no crime by exercising her right to free speech.
Viral Video and Summons
Uguamaye gained attention after a viral TikTok video on Saturday, in which she voiced her frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions. She lamented the continuous rise in food prices and criticised President Tinubu, describing him as a “terrible leader.”
She expressed her concerns, stating:
“I just left a supermarket, and once again, prices have gone up. Every week, things keep getting more expensive. What is the government doing about this? If more Nigerians speak out about what we’re going through, maybe changes will happen.”
She later alleged that she had received threats over her remarks, which sparked a national debate on free speech and political dissent.
On Monday, Uguamaye shared a screenshot of an NYSC summons, instructing her to appear before the Local Government Inspector’s office in Eti Osa 3 at 10:00 a.m.
Legal Support and NYSC No-Show
Sowore confirmed on social media that he had met with Uguamaye in Lagos and would accompany her to the NYSC office alongside attorneys Festus Ogun, Adeyinka Oyesomi, and Ojienoh Justice.
However, upon their arrival, NYSC officials failed to show up. Sowore later posted:
“We arrived at the Eti-Osa LGI offices of the National Youth Service Corps with Uguamaye, but the officials absconded and refused to show up throughout our stay. We will be back!”
Calls for Empathy and Support
Meanwhile, journalist and activist Agba Jalingo urged Nigerians to empathise with Uguamaye rather than condemn her.
Jalingo revealed that Uguamaye suffered a personal tragedy linked to poor government policies. Her father, Raphael Ushie, a Chief Inspector of the Nigeria Immigration Service, died in May 2019 after protesting the demolition of his palm plantation for the Obudu International Airport project in Cross River State.
According to Jalingo, Ushie, who was nearing retirement, had invested his life savings in the plantation. Upon learning that demolitions were nearing his farm, he rushed home and attempted to stop the bulldozers but later collapsed and died after being rushed to the hospital.
“Despite losing her father and their farmland, Uguamaye’s family received no compensation. Her mother struggled to fund her education, and now, when she speaks out about the hardship everyone is complaining about, she faces threats?” Jalingo questioned.
He urged Nigerians to support her instead of condemning her, adding:
“If you were in her shoes—losing your father unjustly, watching your mother struggle to educate you, and then being threatened for expressing your frustrations—where is the freedom of expression?”
Presidential Aide Calls for Expulsion
Meanwhile, a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has called for Uguamaye’s immediate expulsion from the NYSC.
In a statement on Monday, Ajayi stressed the importance of upholding discipline within the scheme and enforcing NYSC by-laws.
“Blatant disregard for NYSC regulations should be met with appropriate disciplinary measures. The scheme represents national unity and should not be undermined by acts of indiscipline,” he stated.
Ajayi insisted that expulsion is the maximum penalty under NYSC regulations, emphasizing that no additional punishment was being suggested.
