June 18, (THEWILL)- Udeh Chiamaka, the model who displayed a blood-stained Nigerian flag as she walked the Miss Africa Russian runway, says she has been receiving threats and insults from different areas since the video went viral.
Chiamaka, who is a Russian-based fourth-year medical student, sparked social media reactions on Tuesday after the viral video showed her holding up the red-stained flag as she appeared on stage at the pageant in Moscow as Nigeria’s representative.
Speaking in a chat with BBC Igbo, the Lagos-born model from Anambra State disclosed that the act was never intended to tarnish the image of her country.
She said: “What I did was actually from my heart. I did it myself; no one told me to. It was a competition, a platform that was given to me. I used that platform to create an awareness of what is happening in Nigeria.
“I did it due to what happened on October 20 [2020]. I also did it because of the recent happenings now in Nigeria. It was basically to tell the world that we’ve not forgotten our fallen heroes, the Lekki protesters who died.
“I did it to also portray recent happenings because there are still killings, insecurity, rape, and all of those things. The flag signifies everything. That category was the ‘Tradition Cultural or National Costume’.
“I felt that I should dress as a nationalist to portray what is happening. I never thought it was going to go viral at all. I don’t know who shared it with bloggers. Right now that it has gone viral, I have received a lot of threats.
“I have received a lot of insults but it’s okay. People who got the message got it. For those who didn’t, it’s not on me. It was never my intention to tarnish the image of Nigeria. It was me creating an awareness that we need help.”
