Human Rights Lawyer Threatens NYSC With Lawsuit Over Alleged Persecution of Corps Member Raye
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has announced his intention to sue the National Youth Service Corps over what he describes as the “persecution” of Lagos-based corps member Ushie Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye.
Raye first drew widespread attention in March after publicly criticizing the current administration, accusing it of deepening Nigeria’s economic hardship.
In a viral video last week, she alleged that the NYSC withheld her Discharge Certificate as retaliation for her outspoken comments on the Bola Tinubu administration’s economic policies.
Responding on X, the NYSC stated that Raye’s service year was extended by two months because she failed to attend the compulsory April 2025 biometric clearance, as required by NYSC bye-laws.
The scheme maintained that the extension was purely procedural and had nothing to do with her political views.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief today, Effiong disputed the NYSC’s account, insisting that Raye was present for the April clearance but was deliberately denied.
He said he would formally write to the Director-General of the NYSC to present these facts, and, if unsatisfied, would escalate the matter to President Tinubu under Section 20 of the NYSC Act before pursuing legal action.
Effiong accused NYSC officials of acting in bad faith by waiting until Raye was about to complete her service year to provide any explanation, calling the move an embarrassment to the scheme.
He warned that Raye’s ordeal represents an attempt to silence dissenting voices in Nigeria, recalling her recent complaints about soaring living costs and inability to afford basic necessities.
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana condemned the NYSC’s action as overzealous and unlawful, noting that no court had authorized the seizure of Raye’s discharge certificate.
Falana drew parallels with the 1988 seizure of the late Bamidele Aturu’s discharge papers under military rule and stressed that under democratic governance, Raye’s right to free expression is protected by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution.
