Tinubu's aide criticizes Nasboi for spreading fear

The Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has criticized skitmaker Nasboi for allegedly using his platform to create fear.

He reacted to a video showing armed men attacking a military base, which Nasboi shared on Tuesday.

This is the second time this week that a presidential aide has taken aim at 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, known as VeryDarkMan, for sharing a fake audio linked to the president.

But the presidency's call for VDM's prosecution over supposed AI-generated voice notes attributed to President Bola Tinubu appears based on a video that did not come from the activist's original post.

Disinformation

Similarly, Mr Olusegun cautioned Nasboi about his recent post.

An X handle called Defence News Nigeria first shared the video.

"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," the news platform said.

However, Nasboi shared the post and tagged President Bola Tinubu.

Earlier, Nasboi had posted a video of suspected bandits caught in the Ajah area of Lagos.

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

Fear mongering

In response to Nasboi's post, Mr Olusegun said the actor and musician should not use his page to spread fear.

"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 said.

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

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

Nasboi reacts

Although he has deleted the post, the singer responded to the presidential aide’s comments.

Nasboi said if speaking out against the government is seen as trying to get attention, then he accepts that title.

"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 claiming he was spreading fear was absurd, 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’ just because some people want to silence anyone who speaks up," he added.

Previous tirade

Mr Olusegun’s comments come after Nasboi expressed concerns about Nigeria’s rising insecurity.

In a series of posts, he warned that armed bandits were slowly making 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 criticized those downplaying online discussions, saying they are important.

"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.