A public dispute between Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido and pro-government singer Dauda Kahutu, popularly known as Rarara, has drawn fresh attention to growing concerns over insecurity in Nigeria following the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State last month.
Gunmen abducted at least 46 pupils and teachers from three schools in southwestern Oyo State on May 15 in an attack the military blamed on Boko Haram militants.
The incident shocked many Nigerians as Oyo is widely regarded as one of the country’s safest states.
The kidnapping triggered protests and a teachers’ strike, and has become a major national issue amid broader concerns over rising insecurity.
Davido sought to raise international awareness of the abductions when he performed at the FIFA World Cup Countdown Concert in Los Angeles on June 10 wearing a jacket bearing the names of the kidnapped children.
However singer Rarara, who is a supporter of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), criticised the gesture, saying publicising the incident internationally could complicate efforts to secure the victims’ release.”What Davido did was beastly,” Rarara said in a video posted on social media.
Responding in Hausa, Davido dismissed the criticism and accused Rarara of placing politics above national interest.”I would have engaged you in a conversation if you were educated. But you know nothing,” Davido said.
The Afrobeats star added that Nigerians should speak out against insecurity rather than remain silent. The exchange has generated widespread debate online, reflecting growing public frustration over violence and kidnappings across Africa’s most populous nation.
Rarara’s own family was affected by insecurity in 2024 when his 77-year-old mother was kidnapped from her home in Katsina State and held for 20 days before being released following the payment of a ransom.
Kidnapping for ransom remains a major security challenge in Nigeria. According to Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence, kidnappers collected an estimated $1.66 million in ransom payments between July 2024 and June 2025.
While mass kidnappings have long plagued northern Nigeria, the abduction in Oyo State was unusual for the southwest and has intensified scrutiny of the government’s efforts to tackle insecurity.