Her fight is ours, Sowore vows justice for corps member denied certificate

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned what he described as a gross injustice against National Youth Service Corps member, Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, after she was denied her final discharge certificate last Thursday.

In a post via his X official handle on Saturday, the publisher of Sahara Reporters promised to get justice for the former corps member.

“We had promised to fight for her justice, and that promise remains unbroken,” he wrote.

Sowore hailed Raye’s resilience, crediting her outspoken activism for a significant win for corps members.

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.

Recall that the NYSC extended Raye’s service year by two months after her viral video in March, in which she criticised the present administration.

She alleged that NYSC officials had threatened her to delete the video.

Civil rights groups condemned the development, accusing the NYSC of trying to silence dissent.

Following the video, the NYSC Local Government Inspector in Eti-Osa summoned her to appear at the local office.

When Raye arrived with Sowore and her lawyers, the official who issued the summons was absent.

The matter resurfaced on June 18, when Raye was again summoned to appear before a disciplinary panel at the Iyana Ipaja NYSC orientation camp in Lagos.

After a series of delays, she was informed that her service year had been extended as punishment — a move that ultimately blocked her from receiving her discharge certificate on schedule.