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Will Smith saga: Nigerian comedians and artists share their thoughts on snide jokes
Eunice Oluwafunmilayo
The slap Will Smith delivered to comedian Chris Rock in an apparent effort to defend his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, has become the most talked-about highlight of the 94th Academy Awards.
On Monday evening, a global audience watching the much-anticipated awards saw the incident when Smith stepped up to the Oscars stage and smacked Rock, after a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
While some praised Smith for standing up for his family, others, including the Academy, were critical of his actions.
However, following his behavior at the event, the actor issued a public apologies.
Nigerian entertainers among others shared their views on the incident while noting that comedy shouldn’t be used to disrespect people but to correct social vices.
Notably among the reactions was that of ace musician, Paul Okoye, aka Kingrudy, who said Smith’s action had opened doors for some people in Nigeria.
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Using his handle, Iamkingrudy, he said, “Naija comedians go calm down a bit. Will Smith don open doors for some people. Pls do not allow yourself to be used as Naija version of the Oscars.”
Similarly, media personality, Ubi Franklin, called out popular comedian, Abovi Ugboma, aka Bovi, for referencing his children while making a joke on national TV.
He said, “This is the way now, you yab me we get on it straight. Or you yab me and I yab you with receipts of the things the world don’t know right on my page here and we will go anywhere you want from there.
“Comedy should not be used as a decoy to disrespect people on National TV. BOVI, you did this at last year’s “Headies” and I sent your friends and close (allies) to warn you, do not try it again. I am struggling with stuff and trying to put myself together and you go on live TV to talk about my kids? BOVI? Until next time.”
Reacting to the development, comedian, Otaghware Onodjayeke, popularly known as Igosave, described comedy as a tool used in correcting social vices.
He said, “I am not a fan of very sensitive jokes and I don’t support violence in any way. Sometimes, as a comedian, you try to use present happenstances to make joke. I want to commend Will Smith for standing for his family.
“Yeah the joke might be below the belt but Chris and Williams are friends. If I were in his shoes, maybe I would have waited for the show to end and tell him I don’t like this kind of joke, you know my wife is going through this but you know human beings differ. He (Smith) couldn’t hold it.
“But some of our celebrities that have not trended for long, they are beginning to come out, to tweet and instigate Nigerians against Nigerian comedian. They said with what has happened, hope Nigerian comedians have learnt and that nah to dey slap comedians now.”
While acknowledging Rock’s professionalism for not retaliating against Smith’s attack, the comedian, however, noted that if he was attacked in such a manner, the show would end abruptly.
He added, “One of our friends even brought up an old issue about a comedian making joke about his children. A comedian made a joke of you two years ago and na today you remember to talk am because you want to trend and be in the news so that brands can endorse you.
“Comedy is what we use in correcting social ills, so if you give girl belle and you abandon the girl and the girl con born and you didn’t support the girl and you abandon her with the child, we must use you to crack joke.
“So that next time other people wey suppose be like you, wey go con born children come life con abandon dem, dem go use condom and una wey dey say nah to dey slap comedian for stage, it is wrong to incite people against comedians.
“If you are saying that that means Buhari go don kill all of us because everybody don curse Buhari that he is sick and not fit and has gone to London. Yes, I appreciate Chris Rock sey e no retaliate, but for me, show go close o, dem go just do closing prayer make everybody go house.”
Embattled Nigerian pastor and founder of SPAC Nation, Tobi Adegboyega, has defended his opulent lifestyle, claiming it serves to inspire young people rather than flaunt wealth.
This statement comes amid a UK Immigration Upper Tribunal ruling ordering his deportation over visa violations.
Adegboyega, 44, faced accusations of overstaying his visitor visa, which expired after he arrived in the UK in 2005.
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He had applied to remain in the country on human rights grounds. The tribunal, however, ruled against him, citing his failure to regularize his status.
The pastor’s luxurious lifestyle, including designer clothing and expensive cars, was a focal point of the case.
Addressing the tribunal, Adegboyega stated that his lifestyle is fully funded by his wife, Mary Olubukola Alade, who earns £100,000 annually at AON.
He said, “I live with my partner, Mary Olubukola Alade, who earns £100,000 per year working for AON. I spend my time working for the church, for which I am unpaid. I am entirely supported by Mary. I have a first-class law degree from Nigeria, but I have ‘sacrificed’ my legal career to help those who cannot help themselves.”
Defending his appearance, Adegboyega emphasized the importance of projecting success to his young congregation.
The court noted, “For instance, people have pointed to the fact that he wears designer clothing and drives expensive cars. He was adamant that all of his personal possessions had been paid for by Mary.
“He believes it is important for him to dress the way that he does because he needs to inspire these young people – they need to understand that there are legitimate ways of making money, for instance through entrepreneurship.”
Despite the ruling, Adegboyega dismissed the deportation concerns as insignificant.
“I’m right here at home, no cause for alarm. Naturally, I will dismiss things that have to do with retrogression; every Nigerian should be proud of me. Living in the UK, a city that is well known for pulling people down, I have survived all sorts, so the matter that they are propagating is the smallest matter,” he said.
He further expressed confidence in his resilience. “No panic, I love London city, it is my city, and nobody can do anything. Of all the people of colour you know here – pastors and leaders – I have survived everything. I’m here, I am at home, nobody should panic for me.
“I succeeded well in this country despite all challenges, and I’m in the league of people you look up to. I have survived that well; nothing has changed, nothing will change,” he added.
Amid the growing controversy surrounding the detention of human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Aare Afe Babalola has publicly addressed the defamation allegations leveled against Farotimi.
The legal action stems from claims made in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which Babalola asserts contains false and defamatory statements about him and his law firm, Afe Babalola & Co.
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In a petition dated November 19 and submitted to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola accused Farotimi of making “criminally defamatory” statements about him, his law firm, and two senior lawyers at his firm, Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro.
The defamatory remarks are tied to the Supreme Court case Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors v. H.R.H. Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.
Babalola revealed that the allegations came to light when one of his lawyers purchased Farotimi’s book while traveling through Murtala Muhammed Airport.
After reading the book, the lawyer immediately brought its contents to Babalola’s attention.
Other members of his firm reportedly did the same, prompting the senior lawyer to take legal action.
In his petition, Babalola pointed to specific passages in Farotimi’s book that accused him of corruption and unethical conduct. The petition reads:
“I write to report the criminal defamation of myself, my law firm Afe Babalola & Co., and my lawyers, Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro, by one Dele Farotimi in his book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, published by Dele Farotimi Publishers, in respect of Suit No. SC/146/2005: Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors v. H.R.H. Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.
“Sometime on 2/11/2024, one of our lawyers, while traveling through Murtala Muhammed Airport, bought a book by Dele Farotimi titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’. He read the book and immediately brought it to my attention. Many of my lawyers also bought the book and read it.”
“The defamatory statements are as follows:
- That Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgment in the service of his client.
- That Aare Afe Babalola, Olu Daramola, Olu Faro, and the law offices of Afe Babalola & Co. (Emmanuel Chambers) compromised the Supreme Court and the remaining semblance of integrity it might have had, when they went back to the Supreme Court and got the Court to swim in the sewer of corruption and shameful self-abnegation.”
Babalola strongly denies the allegations, claiming that they are false and damaging to both his personal reputation and the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary.
Nigerian author and activist Dele Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, has surged to bestseller status on Amazon amid a legal battle with prominent lawyer and businessman, Afe Babalola.
The controversy surrounding the book has captivated public attention, driving both online and offline demand.
The book, which critiques systemic corruption in Nigeria’s judiciary and highlights alleged misconduct by key legal figures, saw modest sales following its release in July 2024.
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However, Farotimi’s arrest on Tuesday, following a petition filed by the 93-year-old Babalola, triggered a wave of public curiosity.
By Thursday evening, it had climbed to the top of Amazon’s bestseller rankings, according to checks by Vanguard. Bookstores across Nigeria also reported a significant uptick in demand.
Biztellers reports that Farotimi was detained in Lagos by armed police officers and transported to Ado Ekiti, about 300 kilometers northeast of the city, where Babalola is based.
The senior lawyer alleged that the book accused him of compromising Nigeria’s judiciary—a claim that has sparked heated debates about freedom of speech and accountability in the legal profession.
On Wednesday, Farotimi was arraigned in an Ekiti court, where the judge ordered his remand pending a bail hearing scheduled for December 10.
Farotimi’s legal team has vowed to contest the charges, framing the case as an attack on intellectual freedom.
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