Nigerian comedian Seyi Law has apologised for remarks he made about insecurity in the country, admitting that his statement was insensitive to victims of kidnapping and their families.

In a video posted on Instagram, the comedian addressed a comment he made during an appearance on The Honest Bunch Podcast, where he said: “Is it today that they have been kidnapping people from their homes in Nigeria?” He also stated that Nigeria is safer now than it was 10 years ago.

The remarks sparked criticism online, with many Nigerians accusing him of downplaying the severity of the country’s security challenges.

Responding to the backlash, Seyi Law said someone had drawn his attention to the statement and how it could be perceived by people who had suffered from kidnapping or other forms of insecurity.

“I am not someone who will be too proud or be very insensitive to apologise when he makes a mistake,” he said in the video. “If you notice, even on the Honest Bunch podcast, when I said I had the opportunity to host Governor Alex Otti’s fundraising dinner, and I said it was while he was in APC, which was actually a mistake, because then he was in APGA, you could see that even on the podcast, as soon as that error was called out, I apologised. I don’t waste time to apologise.”

Governor Alex Otti is currently the Governor of Abia State and a member of the Labour Party. Seyi Law explained that the earlier mix-up during the podcast showed that he is willing to correct himself publicly when he is wrong.

Turning back to his comment on kidnapping, the comedian said he reviewed his words and recognised that they were inappropriate.

“I looked at that statement, and I saw that it is quite insensitive to people who have had an issue or the other with kidnapping, and I want to sincerely, unreservedly tender an apology to those who that statement has hurt,” he said. “Even though that was not what I was trying to say.”

He added that supporting a government does not mean refusing to hold it accountable. Seyi Law is known to be a supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In the caption accompanying the video, he wrote: “My fellow Nigerians, I owe you this and more. You don’t deserve to have your sleep snatched away from you and the pain of one should be the pain of all. I am sincerely and deeply sorry for such insensitive statement. I apologise to victims, families and everyone who has been affected in any way by the insecurity in the country.”

He also used the opportunity to call on the President to intensify efforts to address insecurity. “As a supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, I want to also use this opportunity to call on him to intensify efforts in the battle against insecurity,” he said.

Born Lawrence Oluwaseyitan Aletile on June 22, 1983. Seyi Law hails from Ilaje in Ondo State. Over the years, he has built a strong presence in the entertainment industry as a comedian, actor and television host, rising to prominence after winning the AY Open Comedy competition in 2006.

In July 2024, he was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Entertainment and Tourism to the Ondo State Governor. (Guardian)