Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has voiced strong support for Corper Raye, a serving corps member allegedly denied her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate under controversial circumstances.
Raye, whose full name is Rita Uguamaye, reportedly faced retaliation after a viral video in March in which she criticised the present administration. She alleged that NYSC officials pressured her to delete the post. Civil rights groups have accused the NYSC of attempting to silence her.
In a post on his official X account, Sowore described the NYSC’s action as “gross injustice” and vowed to stand by Raye until justice is served.
“We had promised to fight for her justice, and that promise remains unbroken,” he wrote.
He praised her activism, crediting her outspoken criticism of the government for prompting an increase in corps members’ allowances.
“It was Raye’s courage that pushed the authorities to raise the allowance for her colleagues. We will not abandon her. Her fight is our fight,” he added.
The case has seen multiple summons, including one to the Eti-Osa local office and another to a disciplinary panel at the Iyana Ipaja orientation camp in Lagos. Eventually, her service year was extended by two months, preventing her from collecting her certificate on time.
Sowore has pledged to keep advocating for a reversal of the NYSC’s decision, calling on Nigerians to unite against systemic abuse of power. As of press time, the NYSC has not officially responded to the allegations.
