Embattled corps member, Rita Uguamaye, widely known as Raye, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what she described as an “unlawful and politically motivated” extension of her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year.
Through her lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, Esq., Raye accused the NYSC of victimisation and abuse of power, alleging that she was deliberately targeted for openly criticising some policies of the Tinubu administration.
In a petition addressed to the President and copied to the NYSC Director-General, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and other stakeholders, Uguamaye demanded the immediate reversal of the two-month extension and the issuance of her discharge certificate.
The petition, titled “Appeal Against the Unlawful Extension of the Service Year of Corps Member Ushie Rita Uguamaye with State Code Number LA/24B/8325,” partly reads:
“We are Solicitors to Ms. Ushie Rita Uguamaye (hereinafter referred to as ‘our Client’), a Corps member whose service year was unlawfully extended under the National Youth Service (NYSC) scheme, and upon whose firm instruction and behalf we write this letter to you.
“Our Client has drawn our attention to the arbitrary and punitive decision of the NYSC to extend her service year by two (2) months on the unfounded allegation that she failed to present herself for the April 2025 biometric monthly clearance. We state emphatically that this allegation is false, malicious, and a clear act of victimization.
“For the record, our Client duly presented herself for the said April biometric monthly clearance on the 7th day of April, 2025. However, her Local Government Inspector (LGI), Ms. Veronica Abela, in an act of deliberate and targeted victimization, refused to screen her. This act was not due to any dereliction of duty on our Client’s part, but rather in retaliation for her exercise of her constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression, after she had publicly criticized certain policies of the current Tinubu-led administration.”
The petition further alleged that the Lagos State Coordinator of NYSC threatened Raye with an extension following her criticism, a threat which was later carried out.
According to Effiong, despite sending a detailed petition to the NYSC Director-General on 11 August 2025, no redress has been granted, forcing his client to escalate the matter to the Presidency.
The human rights lawyer maintained that the case violates Uguamaye’s constitutional rights to freedom of expression and fair hearing, warning that allowing such practices to stand would set a “dangerous precedent for democracy.”
Effiong urged President Tinubu to intervene swiftly, stressing that failure to act could be interpreted as tacit approval of political victimisation within the NYSC. He also hinted that Raye might pursue legal action if the situation is not resolved.
