Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) has strongly condemned the alleged harassment and intimidation of Ushie Uguamaye, a serving youth corps member in Lagos State, by officials of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
In a press statement issued by WELA’s Founder and Chairperson, Funmi Falana, SAN, the organisation expressed deep concern over the violation of Miss Uguamaye’s constitutional right to freedom of expression. WELA emphasised that freedom of speech is a fundamental right enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, and no citizen should face threats or reprisals for expressing their opinions on matters of public concern.
According to Mrs. Falana, WELA will not hesitate to file a fundamental human rights suit on Miss Uguamaye’s behalf if these acts of intimidation persist. Furthermore, the organisation warned that it would take legal action against the NYSC and the Local Government Inspector (LGI) responsible for the alleged harassment to ensure that her rights are fully protected.
WELA has called on the leadership of the NYSC to put an immediate stop to any form of intimidation against corps members and to respect their rights to freely express themselves without fear of persecution.
WELA remains committed to defending the rights of women and young people in Nigeria and will continue to advocate for justice and accountability in cases of human rights violations.
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