A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Lagos State has allegedly received threats from NYSC officials after releasing a viral video criticizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The corps member, known on TikTok as @talktoraye, shared a heartfelt video highlighting her frustrations with Nigeria’s soaring cost of living.
She lamented the continuous rise in the prices of essential commodities, saying, “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.”
In her complaints, she cited specific examples of price hikes, expressing disbelief over the current cost of eggs.
“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,” she said.
She also criticized the NYSC program, arguing that her expenses far exceed the monthly allowance provided. “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,” she added.
Addressing her grievances to President Tinubu, the corps member stated, “For example, Tinubu, you are a terrible person. What are you doing to help our economy?”
The viral video reportedly prompted NYSC officials to contact her, demanding that she take down the post and refrain from making further statements.
In a follow-up clip, she shared a recorded phone call where an official allegedly instructed, “Keep quiet and bring down the video you posted.”
Expressing fear and frustration, she said, “Dear NYSC, if you say a corper has faulted, you wouldn’t treat them like this and scare them! You are scaring me for my dear life. Please leave me alone.”
She emphasized her right to free speech, asserting, “I just exercised my right to use the ‘freedom of speech’; this is the right of every citizen.”
The incident has sparked widespread discussions on social media, with many Nigerians debating the right of citizens, particularly corps members, to freely express their views on governance.
As of now, the NYSC has not released an official statement addressing the allegations made by the corps member.
