Nigerian activist and popular actor, Mr Macaroni, has come out strongly against former presidential media aide, Bashir Ahmad, following Ahmad’s controversial comments on the attack and destruction of the properties belonging to social media personality Rahama Saidu in Kano.
The incident, which quickly sparked online outrage, involved the torching of Saidu’s shop after she publicly criticised the Kano State Governor.
While Bashir Ahmad acknowledged that the destruction was unacceptable, he also appeared to place partial blame on Saidu for her approach, igniting even more controversy.
Ahmad, in his initial response to the viral news, attempted to balance condemnation with criticism. “What she did was completely wrong, she shouldn’t have called out the Governor’s name in that manner,” Ahmad wrote, suggesting that Saidu’s choice of words or tone had somehow crossed a line.
He followed up by saying, “However, the treatment she received afterwards, especially the burning of her shop, is absolutely ridiculous and condemnable. Nothing can justify such an act. I sincerely hope the Kano Government will intervene, ensure justice is served, and the perpetrators are held accountable.”
Despite his condemnation of the attack, Ahmad’s remarks about Saidu’s public criticism created the impression that she was partially responsible for the violence she suffered.
This implication did not sit well with many Nigerians, including Mr Macaroni, who interpreted the statement as an attempt to shame a citizen for exercising her right to free expression.
For Macaroni, it wasn’t just about the incident—it was about what it revealed regarding how public officials and their allies respond to dissent.
Taking to the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Macaroni delivered a scathing response.
“This is a former Presidential Media aide who has OON attached to his name telling the world that it is wrong for a citizen to criticize the Governor who is a public servant,” he wrote, calling out what he saw as a dangerous mindset.
“There is no justification for the destruction of Rahama Saidu’s properties!!! And the first part of Bashir’s message blames the victim instead of outrightly condemning the attack!”
He went on to question the erosion of democratic freedoms in Nigeria, especially the right to express dissatisfaction with leadership.
“So a citizen expressing her frustrations is justification for the destruction of her properties?” Macaroni asked. “Do the people no longer have the right to express themselves?”
His comments echoed the frustration of many Nigerians who feel that criticism of public officials is being stifled by intimidation or violence, either directly or indirectly endorsed through silence or veiled statements like Ahmad’s.
Continuing his remarks, Mr Macaroni didn’t hold back in calling out what he described as a double standard. “You love to defend oppression when it affects others but turn around to condemn it when it affects you… Despicable!”
His words drew applause from his followers and reignited conversations around citizens’ rights, state accountability, and the troubling normalization of retaliatory violence against dissenters, especially women who speak out.
The back-and-forth between both public figures not only stirred debate online but also highlighted a growing tension in Nigerian civil discourse: the balance between respect for authority and the right to question power.
While Ahmad may have intended to present a nuanced view, his attempt to critique Saidu’s tone while simultaneously condemning the arson blurred the line between supporting justice and indirectly endorsing retaliation.
Mr Macaroni’s reaction, meanwhile, served as a bold reminder that public figures have a duty to uphold and defend the rights of citizens, especially when those rights come under attack.
