A Local Government Inspector (LGI) of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos has reportedly gone into hiding after summoning corps member Ushie Rita Uguamaye over her viral social media post criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The situation took an unexpected turn on Monday when human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and a team of lawyers accompanied Rita to the Eti-Osa Local Government office, where she had been ordered to appear.
However, the official who issued the summons was nowhere to be found.
Providing an update on X (formerly Twitter), Sowore stated, “We arrived at the Eti-Osa LGI offices of the National Youth Service Corps with youth Corper, Ushie Rita Uguamaye in Lagos.
“She was scheduled to appear before the LGI today and we escorted her to their offices with attorneys, Festus Ogun, Adeyinka Oyesomi and Ojienoh Justice but LGI official had absconded failing to show up throughout our stay.
“We will be back! #RevolutionNow #tinubuisaterriblepresident.”
Earlier, Sowore had shared a video documenting their journey to the NYSC office, saying, “The journey with youth Corper, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, has commenced in Lagos. She is scheduled to appear before the LGI today and we will escort her to their offices. We are all en route with attorneys.”
The NYSC had summoned Rita following a viral TikTok video in which she voiced frustration over the high cost of living and criticized the government’s handling of economic issues.
A message from the NYSC LGI, seen by SaharaReporters on Sunday, instructed Rita, with code number LA/24B/832, to report to the Eti-Osa 3 local government office at 10 a.m. on Monday.
In her TikTok post, Rita had expressed deep concern over inflation, lamenting that prices of basic goods were skyrocketing.
“If a lot of Nigerians come out and start speaking about what we are going through, maybe changes will be made in the government,” she said in the video.
“I don’t know if there is any other president that is as terrible as you, but you are such a terrible president.”
She detailed how her NYSC allowance could no longer sustain her, citing the rising cost of food, transportation, and utility bills.
“So, I am coming from a supermarket where I went to get foodstuff, and everything has gone up again. It’s just like every single week, prices keep increasing. I want to know, what is the government doing about this increase? Is there going to be a particular time when prices will stop going up?
“Why am I going to get a crate of eggs and I’m told it costs N6,500? It doesn’t make any sense that eggs would cost that much. I literally remember when eggs cost N800. I am so overwhelmed because this is the first time I’ve stayed out of my family house.
“After I left the supermarket, I got home, and the security and NEPA bills have skyrocketed, doubling in price. It is insane. I can’t keep up with these bills. Every single penny I make, I am using it to pay bills.
“The crazy thing is, you want to go out with your friend, and Uber is N25,000. Why are things so expensive?
“To make it worse, Lagos stinks. Everywhere smells. What is the government doing about the smell? Being an NYSC corper, there is nothing so beneficial about this scheme.
“The money I spend on transportation is much more than the allowance the federal government pays us. We should start calling out the government. For example, Tinubu, you are a terrible person. What are you doing to help our economy?”
Shortly after posting the video, she received multiple calls from NYSC officials urging her to delete it.
In a follow-up video, Rita disclosed that an NYSC official had called her and asked, “Are you normal?” after she posted the video.
She responded, “I never insulted the president. I said he is terrible. That is not an insult, it is a statement.”
The official reportedly yelled at her, saying, “Come on, keep quiet there. Pull down that rubbish you put there. You are not talking to your mate.”
Rita also revealed her concern about the NYSC having access to her personal information, including her address, stating, “These people know my address and where I live, and now they’ve begun threatening me.”
She further lamented, “It is so bad that you can’t even just speak up about the government because they feel like they have chains to hold you.”
“I’m depressed and my bank account is going to zero, and I still have to live every day. I’m asking the Nigerian government to do something about the inflation. Instead of me getting a call saying, ‘Ok, we are working on it,’ I’m getting a call saying, ‘You are very stupid. Why did you do that to Tinubu? Take down that video.’”
