A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member in Lagos, Ushie Uguamaye, has alleged receiving threats after posting a viral video criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Uguamaye, who shared her concerns on TikTok under the handle #talktoraye, expressed frustration over rising inflation and economic hardship, questioning the government’s efforts to address the situation.
In the video, she openly called Tinubu a “terrible leader” and criticized Lagos State, describing it as a “smelling state” due to poor living conditions. Her statements quickly gained attention, sparking discussions on social media. However, shortly after the video went viral, she claimed that NYSC officials began pressuring her to take it down.
Uguamaye later took to Instagram (#iamraye__) to express her disappointment, stating that she was facing intimidation for simply speaking the truth about the economic difficulties in Nigeria. She wrote, “Dear Nigerians, I am already getting threatened by the NYSC board to stop speaking on this issue. Less than 24 hours, I’m already getting threatened by the government starting with the NYSC board!”
She further claimed that those pressuring her had access to her personal details, raising concerns about her safety. “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.”
Uguamaye also questioned why corps members were being restricted from expressing their opinions. “Why can’t I speak up? Being an NYSC corper doesn’t mean I signed up my right to complain. Why can’t the government listen to the critics of its citizens?”
She insisted that she had not violated any NYSC rules or laws and that she was merely asking legitimate questions. “All I did was lament, all I did was complain. I’m getting tons of messages like this from my fellow corpers. What is wrong with just one person complaining? Why are they looking for me like I’m a criminal?”
According to Uguamaye, she has been receiving phone calls and WhatsApp messages containing her personal details, which she believes is meant to intimidate her. She noted that NYSC officials had summoned her to their office on Monday, but she was unsure why they were looking for her so urgently.
