Former Presidential aide Bashir Ahmad has strongly criticized a national newspaper for using what he describes as a derogatory term to report about an honest Hausa man's good deed.
The Incident That Sparked Controversy
The controversy began when The Nation News shared a video showing a heartwarming moment in a Nigerian market. A Hausa man had found a lost iPhone and went out of his way to return it to its rightful owner.
The video captured market women celebrating and hugging the man after he returned the expensive device. According to reports, the woman had unknowingly lost her iPhone while alighting from a commercial tricycle in the market.
The Problematic Description
What should have been a simple story about honesty and integrity turned controversial due to the newspaper's choice of words. The Nation News described the man as "Aboki" in their caption: "Aboki returns lost iPhone to woman in market."
Bashir Ahmad spotted the post and immediately expressed his displeasure. The former presidential aide stated that using the term 'Aboki' to describe the honest Hausa man was completely wrong and absolutely unacceptable.
Bashir Ahmad's Strong Reaction
In his reaction, Ahmad emphasized that 'Aboki' is a perceived derogatory term and using it in national media is irresponsible. He made his position clear through a public statement directed at the newspaper.
"This is completely wrong and absolutely unacceptable from a national newspaper," Ahmad stated. "Using a perceived 'derogatory' term to describe that honest Hausa man is irresponsible."
The former aide went further to highlight the role national media should play in promoting unity rather than division. "@TheNationNews and other national newspapers should be in the lead promoting unity, not providing platforms for disunity or ethnic bias," he added.
The incident occurred on November 16, 2025, and has sparked discussions about ethnic sensitivity in Nigerian media reporting. The original story was first shared by Linda Ikeji at 10:37 AM on the same date.
