Davido, Rarara trade words over World Cup advocacy on insecurity

Afrobeats star Davido has publicly challenged prominent Hausa singer Dauda Rarara to break his silence on Nigeria's worsening insecurity. The dispute ignited after Davido wore a custom jacket emblazoned with "Bring Them Home" and the names of over 40 schoolchildren abducted in Oyo State to a FIFA World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles.

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I do not usually reply or react to issues like this, but what Davido did was barbaric. In my opinion, Davido and those who share his way of thinking are only behaving foolishly.

Rarara, in a video, condemned Davido's action as "barbaric" and "foolish," arguing it risked harming Nigeria's global image. He questioned Davido's motives, suggesting the display was politically driven, particularly in light of his uncle's political aspirations. "How can you promote Ansaru terrorists or insecurity-related issues to the whole world?" Rarara asked, likening Davido's act to publicly exposing a family member's vulnerability.

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How can you promote Ansaru terrorists or insecurity-related issues to the whole world? How can you take a sensitive national security issue and project it to the world in a way that could damage the country’s image? What exactly do you stand to gain from doing that?

Davido's jacket highlighted the abduction of students and teachers from the Oriire Local Government Area on May 15. Rarara insisted that security matters are complex and not fully understood by the public, cautioning against using them as a campaign tool. He suggested that some abductions are a result of kingpins attempting to force negotiations with authorities after arrests, implying a need for a more nuanced approach than public protest.

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Davido took the names of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, wrote them on the Nigerian flag and displayed it in America. What was the purpose? What did he hope to achieve? Or was it because he had turned the matter into politics?