In the wake of the abduction and murder of Idowu Christianah, a student at the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB), a growing number of Nigerian celebrities have joined the call for justice and an end to gender-based violence.
Idowu was previously declared missing on August 9, and her grave was discovered on September 3 at the family home of the suspected perpetrator, Adeleye Ayomide.
The tragic incident has prompted an outpouring of support and condemnation from Nigerian public figures, including musicians Simi and Arya Starr, as well as comedian Woli Arole.
On September 5, Arya Starr took to Twitter to express her outrage, posting, “Stop killing us! Stop raping us! Women deserve better #JusticeForChristianah.”
Nigerian comedian Woli Arole used his Instagram platform to address the issue, advising Nigerian ladies to avoid “fornicating around and carrying sugar daddies.” However, his remarks have been criticized by some as insensitive.
Simi, the 36-year-old singer, also weighed in on the matter, taking a break from promoting her recent album to share her frustration and fear on social media. “If hearing/seeing women cry, fight and beg for safety, protection for themselves with ALL of the evidence through ALL of time triggers you and makes you so defensive, you should wonder why. We’re not crazy. We’re afraid. To go out. To say no. To be,” she tweeted.
Simi’s and Woli Arole’s posts have faced some backlash from online users, who have accused them of using inappropriate language or making insensitive remarks. As a result, Woli Arole has since deleted his post, and Simi has disabled the comments section on her tweet.
The hashtag #JusticeForChristiannah has been trending across social media platforms as Nigerians call for swift action and an end to gender-based violence in the country.