Police raid gambling spot, arrest 380 foreigners in $400m illegal betting

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has officially denied reports that it extended the service year of Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, over her viral criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the current economic situation in Nigeria.

According to a report by Punch Metro, Raye became a social media sensation after sharing a now-viral TikTok video via her handle, @talktoraye, where she voiced her frustration with Nigeria’s worsening economic state. 

She specifically described the Tinubu administration as "terrible" and accused the government of failing to address inflation and public hardship.

In the same video, Raye referred to Lagos State as a “smelling state” and lamented its poor living conditions. After her statements went viral, Raye claimed she was facing pressure from NYSC officials to take down the video, although the Corps did not release any official statement regarding those allegations.

Public figures such as Omoyele Sowore and Atiku Abubakar voiced support for her, condemning the alleged threats. Sowore even vowed to protest at the NYSC Passing Out Parade if Raye’s service was unlawfully extended.

On Tuesday, Acting Director of Press and Public Relations, Carol Embu, dismissed the rumors, stating:

“Who is Sowore? Does he work with the NYSC? I don’t understand how she will get an extension if she is still serving. NYSC is not an irresponsible organisation; we work with rules and regulations.”

She further clarified that any decision to extend a corps member's service is only made at the end of service, not before. So far, Raye has not posted any confirmation on her verified social media accounts regarding a service extension.

The incident has reignited public debate about freedom of speech, youth participation in governance, and the responsibilities of national institutions in dealing with criticism.

#Raye #NYSC #Tinubu #FreedomOfSpeech #YouthVoices #ViralTikTok #NigerianPolitics #SocialJustice

Latest News