March 20, (THEWILL) — Nollywood actor Aremu Afolayan, the younger brother of filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, has apologized following backlash over comments he made about insecurity in Nigeria.
Earlier in the week, during a campaign gathering for a political support group known as EKO57, Afolayan publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027.
In a viral video from the event, he said he was “doing very well” despite Nigeria’s economic challenges. He also downplayed reports of insecurity and insurgency, saying: “When you watch the news about insurgency, don’t mind them, it’s all scripted.”
The remarks sparked widespread criticism on social media. Many Nigerians described the statement as insensitive, while others alleged he had been paid to make the claim.
In response, Afolayan issued a public apology in a video posted on Instagram on Thursday.
“I’m sorry. The curse has been too much, and I didn’t offend anyone but just went wrong. I picked what I shouldn’t have picked,” he said.
“My heart is heavy because I’ve hurt a lot of Nigerians. The second narration concerns insecurity, and it’s obvious that insecurity is in town and everywhere in Nigeria, and the government isn’t doing anything about it.”
He explained that his comments were misunderstood and were not meant to deny insecurity.
“What I was trying to say in the video was that if you saw anybody shouting ‘they’re coming from this side’ and someone on the news was saying ‘don’t worry, nothing is happening, be calm, don’t answer that person’ because they were reading a script, that was all I was trying to say,” he said.
Afolayan also shared a personal experience to highlight the reality of insecurity, noting that his best friend’s mother was kidnapped and that a large ransom had to be paid for her release.
Amid the controversy, the actor announced that he would step away from politics, citing the backlash and stating that he intends to distance himself from political activities going forward.
He maintained that his attendance at the EKO57 event was not politically motivated. According to him, he attended because of what he described as improved accessibility to local government officials.
The controversy continues to generate reactions online, with many Nigerians debating the actor’s remarks and subsequent apology.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
