Amnesty International has condemned the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) officials for allegedly sending threatening messages to a corps member who openly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration regarding the rising inflation and economic hardships in Nigeria.
In a widely circulated TikTok video, the corps member expressed frustration over the worsening economic conditions, referring to President Tinubu as a “terrible leader” and questioning the government’s actions to alleviate the suffering of citizens. Following the video’s popularity, she reported receiving threatening messages, purportedly from NYSC officials.
In a subsequent video, she shared her experience of receiving calls from an NYSC official who questioned her sanity and urged her to remove the critical video.
Amnesty International responded to the situation in a post on X, asserting that instead of intimidation, officials should focus on addressing the pressing economic challenges facing the nation. They stated, “It is perfectly within her right to express discontent peacefully. The authorities should be prioritizing addressing the country’s economic woes rather than threatening individuals for their opinions.”
The organization highlighted that millions of Nigerians are currently facing extreme poverty and criticized the government’s failure to implement effective measures to alleviate these hardships. They further emphasized that expressing dissenting opinions is not a crime and urged the authorities to cease violent responses to differing views.
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding free speech and human rights in Nigeria, prompting calls for a more open dialogue between citizens and their leaders.
Newspot Nigeria
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