Reno Omokri criticises Davido over advocacy for abducted Oyo schoolchildren

Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has faulted Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over his public advocacy for abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, warning that global attention on terrorism cases could undermine rescue efforts.

The controversy followed Davido’s appearance at the FIFA World Cup countdown concert, where he used his outfit to highlight the plight of pupils and teachers kidnapped in Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The singer performed in a customised jacket and shirt bearing the names of the victims, including inscriptions distinguishing those still in captivity from those confirmed dead, describing the act as a call for urgent government intervention.

Reacting in a lengthy post on X on Thursday, Omokri argued that such publicity risks empowering the perpetrators rather than securing the victims’ release.

“Publicity helps terrorists. It does not pressure them. They treasure it!” he wrote, insisting that there is a widespread misconception that international outrage forces armed groups to back down. “It is a very big mistake to think that publicity, or global outrage, pressures terrorists. Quite the contrary. They relish it! They thrive on it,” he added.

Citing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Omokri said, “Publicity is the oxygen of terrorism,” stressing that extremists rely on attention to magnify fear and influence outcomes. According to him, global campaigns can shift pressure from terrorists to governments while increasing the psychological impact of their actions. “If you do not know about their terrifying acts, they can’t have the power of terror over you,” he said.

Omokri referenced his own past advocacy around Boko Haram hostages, including Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls, claiming security officials later told him that high-profile campaigns had made the captives “too valuable” and prompted tighter security.

He maintained that Nigerian security agencies are actively working to free the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and their teachers, noting that similar cases in the past had ended in successful rescues.

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