Abike Dabiri-Erewa Faces Backlash for Amplifying Derogatory Post Against Igbos

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has come under fire after she reposted a derogatory message on X that described Igbos as “monkeys” and “children of gorillas.”

The controversy began when Mrs Dabiri-Erewa shared a video of a trafficked Nigerian girl, identified as Mercy, who had been rescued from Libya. In response to her post, an X user, Wale Akere (@akerele\_s), praised her efforts but launched into an ethnic slur targeting Igbos.

“My sister, you are doing well. Allow those monkeys to continue to make unnecessary noises… Those animals tagging you, they are children of gorilla history told us about them. Kudos to you madam @abikedabiri,” the user wrote.

Rather than condemning the offensive remarks, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa reposted the comment with laughing memes. The post has since been viewed over 15,000 times, generating more than 53 reposts and over 100 comments.

Her action drew widespread criticism from X users, who accused her of promoting ethnic division.

“This is the lowest I have ever seen in the history of Nigeria!!!” one user, @O.David09926893, wrote.

“I thought this page was being handled by a responsible woman, but clearly, it’s for her tribe’s interest,” added @fybebreed.

Another critic, @MrOzor1, dismissed her as “one useless fellow who happened to be pushed into the corridors of authority,” accusing her of consistently displaying “vicious and virulent characters.”

This is not the first time the NIDCOM chairman has been accused of making divisive remarks. She previously faced backlash for claiming that 20 out of 21 Nigerians on death row in Indonesia were from a single state in the South-East.