A Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has denied calling for a death penalty against Ushie Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member who criticized the President over the country’s economic hardship.
Ajayi clarified on Monday that his initial comment about Raye had been misrepresented, emphasizing that the strictest punishment under NYSC regulations is expulsion, not physical harm.
In a statement titled “Statement on My Twisted Comment on the Corps Member,” he stated:
“I suggested that flagrant and open abuse and disregard of NYSC by-laws and established protocol should attract the full NYSC disciplinary measures, particularly regarding a corps member’s recent display of imprudence.
“The mob get their oxygen from misrepresentations and deliberate mischief.
“I made comments under a post where I advertently wrote that what the lady corper did should attract capital punishment under NYSC, which means her indiscretion should attract the highest punishment under the NYSC scheme.
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“The highest punishment under NYSC is expulsion. There was a follow-up comment under the same thread where I provided the context in my usage of capital punishment under NYSC as a metaphor. The follow-up comment that explained the previous comment was ignored.
“It is common sense that there is no death penalty anywhere as punishment under NYSC law.”
Raye, a Lagos-based TikToker, had criticized Tinubu over the worsening economic conditions in Nigeria, expressing frustration over high inflation and economic hardship.
She described the President as a “terrible leader” and questioned the government’s efforts to ease the difficulties faced by citizens.
