Amnesty International has condemned the threats and intimidation by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) directed at a corps member, Ushie Uguamaye, who called out Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over inflation and economic hardship.
The group, in an ‘X’ post, said it is within her right as a citizen to express her discontent peacefully, while also advising the government to focus on addressing the issues she raised rather than threatening her to delete the video.
“It is perfectly within her right to express discontent peacefully. Instead of threatening her for her opinions on rampant inflation, the authorities should be prioritizing addressing the country’s economic woes,” Amnesty said.
The Lagos-based corps member raised concerns over alleged threats following her viral video criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s government.
In a video shared on her TikTok account #talktoraye on Saturday, Uguamaye expressed frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, lamenting that hard work seems futile amid financial struggles.
She openly criticized Tinubu, calling him a “terrible leader” and questioning the government’s efforts to alleviate citizens’ suffering.
Shortly after her video gained traction, Uguamaye alleged that she began receiving threats, reportedly from NYSC officials, pressuring her to take down the content.
“Dear Nigerians, they have my address. In case you guys don’t see me online, please you know who to hold accountable. I didn’t do anything wrong; I just asked that they work on the inflation.
“Why can’t I speak up? Being an NYSC corps member doesn’t mean I signed up my right to complain,” she said.
Amnesty, meanwhile, in their post, said millions of Nigerians are facing extreme poverty, which aligns with her post on TikTok, urging the government to find measures to urgently address it.
“Millions of people in Nigeria are facing extreme poverty. So far, the authorities have failed to put in place effective mitigation measures, leaving millions of people without the hope of getting out of the economic challenges and enjoying their human rights,” the group said.
