Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, has denied reports that he called for the death penalty for a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.
On Monday, Ajayi responded to accusations after his comments on a Facebook post sparked widespread backlash.
He explained that his original statement was taken out of context, clarifying that the NYSC’s highest penalty is expulsion, not death.
Ajayi’s comments came after a viral TikTok video by Ushie Uguamaye, a Lagos-based corps member, who expressed frustration about Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In her video, Uguamaye criticized the administration’s handling of inflation and the high cost of living, calling President Tinubu a “terrible leader.”
Ajayi had originally commented on the matter, saying that the corps member’s actions should face the strictest NYSC penalties.
However, many online users misinterpreted this as a call for the death penalty, News About Nigeria reports.
Ajayi quickly denied these claims, stating that he never suggested any form of violence or extreme punishment.
He said that he was only advocating for disciplinary action in line with NYSC regulations.
Ajayi reiterated his support for the integrity of the NYSC and expressed disappointment at the misrepresentation of his words.
He stressed that the programme plays a vital role in fostering unity in Nigeria and urged Nigerians to uphold the values of discipline and respect.
He wrote: “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 highest punishment under the NYSC scheme.
“The highest punishment under NYSC is expulsion. There was a follow-up comment under 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.”
