Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has responded to Afrobeats superstar Davido after he mocked him over his delayed diplomatic posting to Mexico.
The disagreement began after Davido shared a video clip from Omokri’s recent interview, where he explained why he had not yet resumed his duties as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico.
Reacting to Omokri’s explanation, Davido reposted part of the interview and wrote on his Instagram Story: “Umo Bingo @renoomokri fowl,” a remark many interpreted as a direct jab at the former presidential aide.
Omokri later responded to Davido in a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter, where he criticised the singer for using insulting language.
The ex-presidential aide said he was disappointed that someone of Davido’s international status would resort to insults on social media.
He also claimed that the singer insulted him in order to defend NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, who praised him for drawing international attention to Nigeria’s insecurity.
“Dear Mr. David Adeleke AKA @Davido,” he wrote.
“Thank you for your feedback. I was rather surprised by your response to my post, setting the record straight on Peter Obi’s false allegations against His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, regarding the repatriation of Nigerian prisoners from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
“Most shocking is your insult. You are an international celebrity whom Nigeria is proud of. Coming to insult me on my Instagram profile with such vulgar words should be beneath you.
“Yes, I am aware that you were upset at my appeal to you not to use an international platform, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to give publicity to bandits and terrorists.
“I am also aware that Peter Obi praised you for doing that, which may have made you feel compelled to defend him. I did that because while your intention may be good and you think you are pressuring the government, the actual effect of what you did is to give publicity to the terrorists and help them spread fear, recruit new members, and raise funds.
“How can you, a Nigerian citizen, with a global platform, go on a global stage to give publicity to terrorists and de-market Nigeria, meanwhile, at that same event, and on that same day, IShowSpeed, an American citizen, used his celebrity and the global stage of the World Cup to market Nigeria by wearing a Nigerian jersey and speaking well of the same country you de-marketed.”
The former presidential aide also argued that many global celebrities avoid discussing terrorism and sensitive political issues during major sporting events.
To support his position, Reno Omokri cited the October 7, 2023 hostage crisis in Israel, noting that several famous entertainers from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada have appeared at global events without making public statements about the incident.
“Many of us do not know what we have got. Let me give you an example: As an American citizen, you may be aware of the October 7, 2023, abduction of 254 people by terrorists in Israel, of whom the majority were women and children, including American, British, and Canadian citizens,” he wrote.
“There are many celebrities bigger than you in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Since October 7, 2023, these celebrities have performed on many global platforms, including the World Series, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and the UEFA Champions League.
“Yet, none of them used such platforms to say ANYTHING about the October 7 abduction because they know that publicity helps terrorists and hurts hostages.
“We saw that in Nigeria. The #ChibokGirls were abducted on April 14, 2014. The then Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, revealed that the military had located the girls and were ready to rescue them.
“However, after Michelle Obama held up the #BringBackOurGirls banner in May of 2014, the publicity resulted in Boko Haram separating the girls into different groups and keeping them in various camps, while increasing security around them, which made it literally impossible to rescue them.
“Thereafter, Boko Haram’s recruitment was boosted, and their finances exploded, and six months later, ISIS announced that they had merged with Boko Haram to form ISWAP.”
Omokri concluded by advising celebrities and public figures to avoid giving extremists unnecessary attention.
“That is what I was trying to explain to you. Just like Margaret Thatcher said, “publicity is the oxygen of terrorism.” It is also why the UNESCO Handbook for Journalists on Terrorism Coverage urges public figures not to grant terrorists any publicity.
“I hope you now understand my point of view. Thanks again, and may God bless you,” he wrote.
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