Amnesty International has condemned the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for threatening Ushie Uguamaye, a corps member serving in Lagos after she criticised President Bola Tinubu’s government over inflation and economic hardship.
The New Daily Prime reported that Uguamaye, in a video shared on her TikTok account #talktoraye on Saturday, voiced frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions.
She lamented that hard work seemed futile amid financial struggles and openly criticised Tinubu, calling him a “terrible leader” while questioning the government’s efforts to alleviate citizens’ suffering.
In another video posted on Sunday, she alleged that the NYSC threatened her life, stating that she received multiple calls and a summons notice.
Reacting to the alleged intimidation, Amnesty International, in a statement on its X page, strongly condemned the threats.
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The organisation asserted that the corps member has the right to express her discontent peacefully.
It further emphasized that instead of threatening her for speaking out on rampant inflation, authorities should focus on addressing the country’s economic crisis.
“The lady alleged that NYSC officials threatened her for refusing to delete the video. 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 Nigerian authorities must stop responding with violence and threats to individuals and groups who express dissenting opinions — in utter disregard for Nigerian constitution and international law. Holding and voicing dissenting views is not a crime”, the statement added.
