The Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has called out skitmaker Nasboi for allegedly using his platform to spread fear. This comes after Nasboi shared a clip showing turbaned men with sophisticated weapons shooting at a military base, which he tweeted on Tuesday.
Second Call-Out in a Week
This is the second time in a week that a presidential aide has called out a Nigerian celebrity. Last Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, called for the prosecution of activist Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, accusing him of disseminating a fake audio linked to the president.
However, the presidency's call for VDM's prosecution over alleged AI-generated voice notes attributed to President Bola Tinubu appears to have been based on a manipulated video that did not originate from the activist's original post.
Disinformation Concerns
Mr Olusegun cautioned Nasboi over his recent post. The clip was initially posted by an X handle, Defence News Nigeria, which stated: "Footage from JNIM's attack on the Beninese Army barracks at Koalou-Kourou, which left 12 soldiers dead. Benin has no air force in practical terms, relying on a small fleet of 11 helicopters—no combat aircraft. JNIM faces no threat from the air, so they enjoy freedom of movement. The Nigerian Air Force will have to step in before the group continues its southward advance toward the coast."
Nasboi shared the post and tagged the handle of President Bola Tinubu. Earlier, he had shared footage of suspected bandits apprehended in the Ajah area of Lagos, captioning it: "Ladies and gentlemen, we would have no option but to protect ourselves soon."
Fear Mongering Accusation
Reacting to Nasboi's post, Mr Olusegun said the actor and musician cannot continue to use his page to spread fear intentionally. He wrote: "The video you posted was clearly quoted from a page that says these are Beninese terrorists. This means the footage is from the Benin Republic and has nothing to do with Nigeria. We have our challenges, but you using your wide reach to spread fear with fake footage is the highest form of irresponsibility. You can do better."
He further explained that news of the attack was widely publicised last week, when Nigeria deployed troops to the Benin Republic as part of efforts to deter potential threats that could spread into Nigeria if they escalate beyond current levels. "The security agencies are well on top of the Benin crisis, and we hope normalcy is restored soon," he added.
Nasboi Reacts
Although he has deleted the post, the singer responded to the presidential aide's call-out. Nasboi said that if speaking about the ills of this government was regarded as farming for engagements, then he would rather be called a farmer. "In this same country? Real farmers can't even go to their farms without fear of bandits. The land is unsafe, and livelihoods are under threat. I will keep farming here with my tweets, with my voice, with my words," he wrote.
He went on to say that the notion that he was spreading fear was moot, as there was already fear in the land. "I can barely sleep. I'm traumatised. Aren't we all? Raising awareness is now being twisted into 'spreading fear' simply because some people are desperate to silence anyone who speaks up," he added.
Previous Tirade
Mr Olusegun's post comes after Nasboi went on a tirade about Nigeria's spate of insecurity. In a series of posts, the singer suggested that armed bandits were slowly finding their way to Lagos. "I'm deeply afraid because the bandits are now showing the audacity to come into Lagos. If they arrive and begin to harm Lagosians, we must be cautious because even ordinary Fulani people in Lagos, who are not involved in these acts, could become targets. This is incredibly dangerous, and we have to do everything we can to ensure that our country does not descend into war," he wrote.
In another tweet, he chided those who he said were trying to discountenance online discussions, noting that they were important in the scheme of things. "These online discussions are powerful. They are sensitising people, sharing videos and images, and showing what we are going through. And when it is time to vote, people will know exactly who deserves their support. So, if you get your PVC like we keep saying, if we all do, we will have a bigger voice at the polls. That is the strength of social media," Nasboi noted.
