‘I Was Surprised by Your Insult’ — Reno Omokri Replies Davido

• Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has responded after Afrobeats star Davido mocked him on social media, reigniting debate over the singer’s World Cup campaign for abducted Oyo schoolchildren.

Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has responded after Afrobeats superstar Davido mocked him over comments regarding his delayed resumption of diplomatic duties.

The controversy began after Omokri, during a recent interview, explained that his delayed arrival in Mexico was connected to ongoing FIFA World Cup activities involving Mexico and the United States.

Davido later took to social media to criticize the former presidential aide, posting:

“Umu Bingo @renoomokri, fowl.”

Reacting to the singer’s remarks, Omokri shared screenshots of the comments on his Instagram page, describing them as “feedback” while expressing surprise at the language used.

According to Omokri, he believes Davido’s criticism may have been linked to his earlier comments regarding the singer’s appearance at a FIFA World Cup event.

At the event, Davido wore a customized jacket bearing the names of abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, alongside calls for their release.

In his response, Omokri maintained that his comments were not intended as an attack on the singer but represented his personal opinion on the matter.

“Dear @Davido,

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 President Tinubu.

Most shocking is your insult.”

Omokri stated that while he understood Davido’s intentions, he believed raising issues of terrorism and kidnapping on a global platform could have unintended consequences.

“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.”

He argued that excessive publicity surrounding terrorist activities could spread fear, encourage recruitment and complicate rescue operations.

“I did that because 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.”

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Drawing comparisons with other global events, Omokri referenced the October 7, 2023 abductions in Israel and the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping in Nigeria.

He recalled claims that rescue efforts for the Chibok girls became more difficult after the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign gained international attention.

Quoting former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Omokri said:

“Publicity is the oxygen of terrorism.”

The exchange has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians defending Davido’s advocacy for abducted children, while others argued that Omokri’s concerns about the unintended effects of publicity deserved consideration.

As of the time of filing this report, Davido had not issued any further response to Omokri’s statement.