Nigerians on social media have expressed divided opinions over calls to boycott South African singer Tyla’s scheduled concert in Lagos, with many linking the event to renewed outrage over alleged xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

The backlash followed the announcement of Tyla’s APOP World Tour, which includes a Lagos performance on December 22 before concluding with concerts in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.

PUNCH Online had reported that the Grammy-winning singer unveiled the tour schedule on Monday, with performances across Europe, North America, Nigeria and South Africa.

The announcement, however, sparked heated debate on X, with some users arguing that the concert should not hold while Nigerians continue to face alleged attacks in South Africa.

X user, #Miz_Fey, wrote, “Any Nigerian who attends Tyla’s concert in Lagos is just as useless as the government btw.”

Another user, #FtoniaUc, said, “I don’t care what y’all say, with what went down and what is going down in South Africa against Nigerians, no South African artists should be hosting a concert or show in Nigeria. It’s the audacity for me!!”

The same user added, “Any Nigerian buying that ticket and even the organiser should be ashamed.”

#BighomieRay also urged Nigerians to reject the concert.

“If this concert hold successfully in Nigeria, then Nigerians are bunch of idiots. Go and see what SA police are doing to Nigerians. They recently killed a Nigerian. None of them have spoken against it,” the user wrote.

Another X user, #MetOrjiChukwudi, called for a peaceful boycott.

“I call on Nigerians to peacefully boycott Tyla’s performance as a symbolic stand for justice, accountability, and the protection of all Africans. As long as xenophobia and Afrophobia continue to threaten the lives of Africans, including Nigerians, in South Africa, I believe this is not the right time to support South African entertainment in Nigeria,” he said.

Similarly, #Phatbabeluuu posted, “Tyla having a show in Lagos after the whole xenophobia shit show from her country, shows one thing, Nigerians don’t stand for anything.”

Others criticised Tyla for not publicly addressing alleged attacks on Nigerians.

“I’ve never seen Tyla speak up against xenophobia. But sure, let’s do a tour stop in Lagos,” #Momobtw__ wrote.

Referencing a widely shared video alleging the death of a Nigerian in police custody in South Africa, #callmehonneybee posted, “Mind you this is what their police officers are doing to our brothers. Literally killing them like flies in their own home.”

However, not everyone supported the boycott campaign.

#Emmanuel1135482 argued that Nigerians’ affection for Tyla should not be confused with support for xenophobia.

“Nigerians get love still get hate at the same time. Na the love for Tyla no be for South Africans,” the user wrote.

Another X user, #cea9275, dismissed the boycott calls, saying, “You’re fighting an illogical battle, political issues should never stop a musician from performing in the said country. And if you’re really passionate about this issue as you appear, why don’t you condemn Nigerian artists featuring SA artistes?”

#DoyeenOfLagos also questioned why responsibility was being placed on the government instead of concert organisers and attendees.

“We are quick to blame govt, make govt come wash our bumbum after pooing? No be some people organise the event? No be some go attend the event? Na govt forced them to? That’s why politicians are treating us like this,” the user wrote.

The debate comes amid renewed concerns over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa following reports of alleged xenophobic attacks and the death of Nigerian national Chika Ibe in Cape Town, an incident that has continued to generate reactions across social media.

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The prominent Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has narrated how he escaped from operatives of the Department of State Services during the controversial raid on his Ibadan residence in July 2021.

Igboho said the security operatives failed to arrest him despite surrounding his residence, claiming they mistook a cat for him and even brought in what he described as a “fake herbalist” to perform rituals in an attempt to apprehend him.

Recounting the incident when some Muslim delegations visited his residence in Ibadan on Monday, Igboho said he was inside the house throughout the operation, but the operatives could not find him.

“When they came around 1:30 am. I heard a sound and was inquiring who it was; they started shooting at the room. They heard my voice. When they finally scaled the fence in, they planted a dynamite on the burglary, and everything completely fell apart. That was where they entered.  I was naked, but upon hearing their voice, I wore a jean and shirt. One mind was telling me to surrender to them; the other was telling me not to surrender, else I would be killed.

“So at a point, it was looking like I was scared of them; then I immediately yelled, inquiring what had happened and why they had come to pick me up. So they started shooting at close range without even seeing me.

“When they entered and were screaming that I opened the door, they pointed a gun at Dudu (my personal assistant)’s head. And he kept begging me not to shoot while knocking on the door. There, I suspected. They forced the door open. People were even lying that they shot me and I ran away with my intestines out.”

Dismissing the rumour that he turned into a cat on sighting the operatives, the activist stressed, “I didn’t turn into a cat. They even killed it, thinking it was me. They even brought a fake herbalist who was just making an incantation and performing a ritual. I was in the house watching them, but they didn’t see me.

“There was this my brother who was partially blind and came out; upon sighting him, they shot him, thinking that he wanted to attack them. They took the corpses away as evidence that they truly invaded my home. So it was God that saved me after a prayer that some Muslim clerics did in my house, forestalling a bad vision they claimed to have seen on me.”

Recall, the DSS invaded Igboho’s Soka residence in Ibadan, Oyo State, in the early hours of July 1, 2021, following months of heightened tension between the activist and the Federal Government under the leadership of former President Muhammadu Buhari (now late).

Before the operation, Igboho had gained national attention after issuing an ultimatum to some Fulani residents in parts of Oyo State, accusing them of involvement in kidnappings and other violent crimes.

He subsequently declared that criminal elements among the Fulani would be driven out of Yorubaland and intensified his campaign for the establishment of a sovereign Yoruba Nation.

The Federal Government viewed some of his activities as a threat to national security, leading to attempts to arrest him.

During the raid, the DSS said it recovered firearms and ammunition from the residence and arrested 13 of Igboho’s associates.

The agency also confirmed that two of his aides were killed during the operation after what it described as an exchange of gunfire.

Following the raid, Igboho escaped from Nigeria and was later arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to travel to Germany.

He was subsequently released by Beninese authorities after months of legal proceedings and has since remained in self-imposed exile in the Benin Republic, from where he has continued to champion the Yoruba Nation cause.

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Canada-based Nigerian woman, Prophetess Ezinne Nwanorue, has stirred reactions on social media after celebrating the death of her mother-in-law, describing the deceased as a “wicked witch” in a Facebook post.

Ezinne shared the funeral poster of her late mother-in-law, Comfort Nwanorue, on Facebook on Monday.

She wrote, “One wicked witch is down: my dead mother-in-law, Comfort Chika Nwanorue, rest in pieces in hell with other dead witches; your members will soon join you. I am the weapon fashioned against all the witches and wizards and all the evil people in the world; you all shall go down in my hands. Very wicked beings.

“You people should repent now and accept Christ; if not, you won’t escape the judgment of de@th from my hands, in Jesus’ name. Amen. These people have dealt with me in this life; they found out about my destiny, and they did everything within their power to bring me down, but I thank God for helping me discover who I am and coming through for my destiny; I am now in my season of manifestation, and no one can stop it.

“They will all go down in my hands as God empowers and permits me, in the name of Jesus. Amen. I am talking from the place of my office as a prophetess of God Almighty. Prophetess Ezinne Maryjane Nwanorue.”

The post has since attracted mixed reactions, with many social media users criticising her for celebrating the death of a family member.

PUNCH Online earlier reported that Ezinne and her husband, Franklin Chimaobim Nwanorue, went viral after she made his relocation to Canada conditional on him publicly swearing an oath that he would never be unfaithful to her.

According to the report, she insisted that her husband record and publish a video declaring that if he cheated on her after arriving in Canada, he should die, saying the instruction was from God.

In the viral video, Franklin accepted the condition, declaring, “I confess, and I promise that if I come to Canada and cheat on you, let me die in the name of Jesus.”

He also pledged to remain faithful to his wife and be a good husband and father to their children.

Ezinne later claimed her husband had been involved with another woman despite taking the public oath, alleging in a Facebook post that he had “still slept with one of his side chicks” after making the declaration.

Her latest Facebook post celebrating the death of her mother-in-law has brought renewed public attention to the family’s ongoing dispute.

Neither Franklin Nwanorue nor other members of the family had publicly responded to Ezinne’s latest post as of the time of filing this report.