Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has accused the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) of acting unlawfully in withholding the discharge certificate of a corps member who publicly criticised the government.

The corps member, Ushie Rita Uguamayei, known on social media as Raye, said she served in Lagos but has yet to receive her certificate.

The NYSC said her service had been extended by two months, a decision coming just months after her viral criticism of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s handling of the economy.

Atiku condemned the NYSC’s action, describing it as “impunity.”

In a post on X, he wrote: “Everything should not be subjected to politics. I hope that Ushie Rita Uguamayei’s NYSC discharge certificate is not being withheld because she had the courage to complain about the economic hardship under the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

“It is unacceptable that the young lady, who had served her country without queries, should not have received her certificate one year after passing out.”

He urged the appropriate authorities to act immediately to resolve the matter.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana called the NYSC’s move “overzealousness” and “illegal,” noting that there was no court order authorising the seizure.

He drew parallels to the 1988 case of Bamidele Aturu, whose certificate was withheld after he refused to shake hands with a military governor.

“Since Nigeria is under a democratic government, Rita Uguamayei’s fundamental right to criticise the government is guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,” Falana said in a statement.

He reminded NYSC authorities of President Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech, warning against the suppression of dissent, quoting the president’s words that “no one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me.”