Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has claimed that Ushie Uguamaye, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over economic hardship, is facing intense pressure to apologise. Sowore, who accompanied Uguamaye to the NYSC Local Government Inspector’s office in Lagos on Monday alongside a team of lawyers, alleged that government officials, including ministers, had been reaching out to pressure her into retracting her statement.
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday night, Sowore insisted that the corps member had committed no crime, arguing that she was simply exercising her right to free speech.
Uguamaye gained widespread attention after posting a TikTok video in which she expressed frustration over Nigeria’s economic conditions, highlighting rising inflation and hardship under President Tinubu’s leadership.
In the video, she lamented the skyrocketing cost of living, stating: “I just came from a supermarket where I went to buy foodstuff, and everything has gone up again. It’s like prices increase every single week. I want to know—what is the government doing about this?”
She went further to call Tinubu “a terrible president,” questioning his administration’s handling of the crisis. Following the video’s virality, Uguamaye claimed she received threats over her remarks. She also shared a screenshot of an NYSC invitation, summoning her to appear before the Local Government Inspector at Eti-Osa 3 on Monday at 10:00 a.m.
Sowore later posted a video on X (formerly Twitter), showing him alongside Uguamaye and a team of lawyers as they arrived at the NYSC office. However, he revealed that the officials failed to show up. “We arrived at the Eti-Osa LGI office of the NYSC with Ushie Uguamaye, as scheduled. But the officials absconded and refused to show up. We will be back!” Sowore wrote.
Meanwhile, journalist and activist Agba Jalingo has urged Nigerians to show Uguamaye empathy instead of condemning her. In a Facebook post, Jalingo revealed that Uguamaye had suffered personal tragedy linked to poor government policies.
He recounted how her father, Raphael Ushie, a Chief Inspector of the Nigeria Immigration Service, died in 2019 while protesting the demolition of his palm plantation for the Obudu International Airport project.
Jalingo explained that Ushie had invested his life savings into the plantation, only for it to be destroyed. In an attempt to stop the demolition, he participated in a community protest but later fell ill and died after being rushed to a hospital. “Despite losing her father and their farm, Uguamaye’s family received no compensation. Her mother struggled to put her through school,” Jalingo stated.
“Now, this young girl complains about what every Nigerian—including Tinubu’s supporters—is grumbling about, and some are calling for her head? Where is the freedom of expression?” Jalingo urged Nigerians to support Uguamaye rather than subjecting her to further hardship.
Meanwhile, Temitope Ajayi, a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, has called for Uguamaye’s immediate expulsion from the NYSC. In a statement on Monday, Ajayi emphasized the importance of upholding discipline and respect among corps members, arguing that Uguamaye’s actions were a violation of NYSC protocols. “Blatant disregard for NYSC by-laws should be met with the full weight of NYSC disciplinary measures,” Ajayi stated.
He added that expulsion is the maximum penalty under NYSC regulations and insisted that the scheme should not be undermined by acts of indiscipline. Uguamaye’s case has sparked widespread debate on free speech and political dissent in Nigeria, with many arguing that corps members should not be penalized for expressing their opinions.
As tensions continue to rise, it remains to be seen how the NYSC and government officials will handle the situation.
