Veteran Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Alibaba, has expressed relief over the identity of the killer of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk died on Wednesday after he was fatally shot while on stage at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, for a TPUSA event, “The American Comeback Tour”.

Speaking on the incident, Alibaba described the shooting as tragic and strongly condemned violence of any kind. However, he admitted to feeling a sense of relief that the alleged shooter was not a Black or Arab person, noting that such an outcome could have carried broader negative implications.

“It’s a sad thing that Charlie had to be killed, and I’m totally against shooting and killing of anyone,” Alibaba said.

“That said, when I heard about the shooting… you don’t know the relief I had that it wasn’t a Black guy, not Arab, not Muslim. It would have been bad.”

Authorities in the United States have identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah. Robinson, who had briefly studied at Utah State University on scholarship, reportedly became more politically outspoken in recent years and had criticized Kirk for “spreading hate.”

Reports indicate Robinson comes from a conservative, pro-gun family and is the son of registered Republican parents. While his voter registration is listed as nonpartisan and inactive, Robinson allegedly distanced himself from his family’s political leanings in recent years.

The case has drawn significant attention both in the U.S. and internationally, with discussions centering on political polarization, gun violence, and its wider societal implications.

Alibaba’s comment, though not as a response, comes after Utah governor Spencer Cox said he had hoped Charlie Kirk shooter “wouldn’t be one of us” – a statement that sparked criticisms.

Speaking at a press conference, Cox said while he was grateful for the quick arrest of a suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, he had hoped the suspect “wouldn’t be one of us,” hoping it would be someone from another state or country.

He said he thought It would “make it easier” to be able to say, “We don’t do that here.”

“For 33 hours, I was praying that if this had to happen here that it wouldn’t be one of us — that somebody drove from another state, somebody came from another country… Sadly, that prayer was not answered the way I hoped for… But it did happen here, and it was one of us,” Cox said. (Saturday Vanguard)

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