Tinubu's aide criticizes Nasboi for spreading fear

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has called out skitmaker Nasboi for allegedly using his platform to spread fear.

He was reacting to a video of armed men in turbans attacking a military base, which the actor shared on Tuesday.

This is the second time this week that a presidential aide has criticized a Nigerian celebrity.

Last Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, called for the prosecution of activist Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan. He accused Otse of sharing a fake audio linked to the president.

The presidency's call for VDM’s prosecution seems to be based on a manipulated video that did not come from the activist's original post.

Misinformation

Mr Olusegun has also warned Nasboi about his recent post. An X handle called Defence News Nigeria first shared the clip.

The post said, "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 then shared this post and tagged President Bola Tinubu.

Earlier, he posted a video showing suspected bandits caught in the Ajah area of Lagos.

He wrote, "Ladies and gentlemen, we would have no option but to protect ourselves soon."

Spreading fear

In response to Nasboi’s post, Mr Olusegun said that the actor and musician should not use his platform to intentionally spread fear.

He said, "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," the media aide stated.

He added that news of the attack was widely reported last week when Nigeria sent troops to the Benin Republic to stop potential threats that could spill into Nigeria.

Mr Olusegun concluded, "The security agencies are well on top of the Benin crisis, and we hope normalcy is restored soon."

Nasboi's response

Although he has deleted the post, Nasboi has responded to the presidential aide’s criticism.

He said that if talking about the problems of the government is seen as fishing for attention, then he would rather be called a farmer.

He added, "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."

Nasboi also said that the idea that he was spreading fear is pointless, as fear already exists in the country.

"I can barely sleep. I’m traumatized. 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 comments

Mr Olusegun’s comments come after Nasboi expressed his worries about Nigeria's rising insecurity.

In a series of posts, he warned that armed bandits were slowly creeping into Lagos.

He stated, "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."

In another tweet, he criticized those trying to dismiss online discussions, saying they are important.

He said, "These online discussions are powerful. They are sensitizing 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.