The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has extended Rita Ushie’s service year by two months, as she is known on Instagram as Raye. This decision follows a viral video she posted in March criticising President Bola Tinubu’s administration and highlighting the daily struggles corps members face due to rising inflation.
Raye had just one month left before completing her mandatory service. In the emotional clip on TikTok via her handle @talktoraye, she described how difficult it was to survive on the NYSC allowance. She questioned why basic items like eggs now cost ₦6,500, compared to ₦800 in the past, and complained about high transport costs, doubled utility bills, and a general lack of value in the NYSC scheme. “The money we spend on transport is more than what we’re paid,” she said, adding that the situation in Lagos was “unbearable” and that “Lagos smells.”
She also directly called out the President, saying, “Tinubu, you are a terrible person. What are you doing to fix this economy?” Although she later clarified that the video was not political but a plea for help, it quickly gained attention and stirred strong reactions across the country.
Soon after posting the video, Raye said she received multiple calls from NYSC officials urging her to delete it and stop making negative comments. Human rights groups and many Nigerians condemned the response, saying it was an attempt to silence her freedom of expression.
Raye was first summoned to the Eti-Osa Local Government office, but when she arrived with activist Omoyele Sowore and legal support, the official who invited her was absent. The case resurfaced on June 18, when she was called again to the NYSC camp in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, to face a disciplinary panel.
According to Jonathan Ugbal of the Take It Back Movement, the process lacked structure. Raye was told to return late, as there was no official letter explaining the reason for her absence. She later met with officials, offered an apology for any perceived harm, and was then informed her service would be extended by two months. Ugbal also shared that Raye was deeply upset, with her mother calling him in tears over her emotional state.
So far, the NYSC has not released an official statement on the matter. Critics argue that the move to extend her service is a punishment aimed at silencing her and discouraging others from speaking out.
