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The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has come under intense criticism after she amplified a derogatory post on X that described Igbos as monkeys and children of gorillas.
The incident began when Dabiri-Erewa shared a video of a trafficked Nigerian girl identified as Mercy, who had been rescued from Libya. While her post drew praise from some quarters, it also attracted a response from an X user identified as Wale Akere, who commended her work but launched a tribal slur against Igbos.
He described them as ungrateful monkeys, children of gorillas, and bustards, while urging Dabiri-Erewa to ignore them.
Instead of condemning the offensive remarks, Dabiri-Erewa reposted the comment with laughter emojis, a move that many Nigerians interpreted as an endorsement of the message. The repost has since been viewed by thousands of people and has generated heated reactions online.
Critics accused the NIDCOM boss of promoting hate speech and deepening Nigeria’s already fragile ethnic tensions. Some Nigerians expressed disappointment that someone in her position would lend support to such divisive language, while others accused her of being a tribal bigot unfit for public office.
The backlash has revived earlier controversies surrounding Dabiri-Erewa, including her widely criticised remark that twenty out of twenty-one Nigerians on death row in Indonesia were from a single South-East state.
As the outrage continues to spread, Dabiri-Erewa has not issued any statement to clarify or retract her action, leaving many questioning her judgment and the implications of such conduct for national unity.
