Human rights activist and #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, has revealed that the registration office of the NYSC Director General confirmed that the petition submitted by Lagos State female corps member, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, also known as “Raye,” requesting the release of her discharge certificate, is currently being processed.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), made the disclosure on Wednesday in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, while giving an update on his visit to the NYSC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
SaharaReporters on August 12, 2025, reported that Uguamaye petitioned the NYSC DG over the “unlawful and politically motivated” extension of her service year by two months, allegedly in retaliation for her criticism of President Bola Tinubu and his administration.
The petition, signed by Inibehe Effiong, Principal Counsel of Inibehe Effiong Chambers, accused the NYSC of victimisation and abuse of power.
The petition maintained that Uguamaye was singled out for punishment after she publicly criticised Tinubu’s government policies.
The petition further alleged that the Lagos State Coordinator of the NYSC had threatened her with a service extension following her comments.
The petition demanded the immediate reversal of the two-month extension and the issuance of Ms. Uguamaye’s discharge certificate without delay.
It also warned that failure to comply would lead to a formal appeal to the Presidency and possible legal action.
In his post on Wednesday, Sowore narrated that during his visit to the NYSC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, he, Ms. Uguamaye’s lawyer, Barrister Inibehe Effiong, and others who went with him to meet with the DG were initially denied access and harassed by officers of the Nigerian Army deployed to the facility.
“Yesterday, we returned to the National Youth Service Corps Headquarters to follow up on our letter demanding that the Director-General Brigadier General OO Nafiu release Ushie Rita “Raye” Uguamaye’s discharge certificate,” Sowore said.
“Instead of granting us access to see the DG, Nigerian Army officers deployed at the premises harassed us simply for exercising our right to document our movement with video recordings.”
Sowore added that all senior officials, including the DG of the NYSC, “conveniently instructed their staff to tell us they were ‘not on seat’”.
However, Sowore noted, “After persistent effort, the registration office on the DG’s floor finally admitted that our letter, submitted by Barrister Inibehe Effiong, is ‘still being processed’”.
He vowed, “We will not relent. We will return to the NYSC Headquarters until justice is done and Raye receives her rightful discharge certificate without further delay.”
