A trending video shared by a serving corps member in Lagos State has sparked widespread reactions online, following her claims that she received threats from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) officials after criticizing the current administration.
The corps member, identified on social media as @talktoraye, had earlier taken to TikTok to express her frustration over the rising cost of living and the economic hardship faced by young Nigerians. In the video, she criticized the Tinubu-led government, lamenting the high cost of food, transportation, and basic utilities, which she said had made life increasingly unbearable for her as a youth corper.
“This is the first time I’ve stayed out of my family house, and I’m overwhelmed,” she said. “Everything is expensive. A crate of eggs is now N6,500. NEPA and security bills have doubled. Uber fares are outrageous. Lagos stinks. What is the government doing about all this?”
She also questioned the relevance of the NYSC scheme, noting that her transportation costs alone often surpass her monthly allowance. “There is nothing so beneficial about this scheme anymore,” she added.
However, shortly after the video went viral, the corps member claimed she began receiving threatening phone calls and messages, allegedly from NYSC officials, who demanded that she take down the video.
In a follow-up video, she played a voice recording of a purported conversation with an NYSC official who allegedly rebuked her for making the post. “Are you normal? Keep quiet and bring down the video you posted,” the voice was heard saying.
The corper, who also posted screenshots of the alleged threats on Instagram (@iamraye__), said she feared for her safety. “They already know me. If I delete the video, no one would know what they might do to me,” she said. “I didn’t commit any crime. All I did was ask questions. Why am I being treated like a criminal?”
She added that fellow corps members have also reached out to her with similar stories of intimidation. “As an NYSC corper, I didn’t sign off my freedom of speech. I have the right to speak as a citizen of Nigeria.”