The chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and ARISE Television presenter Rufai Oseni have exchanged criticisms over journalistic standards and a controversial social media post involving Igbo people.
The disagreement emerged after Dabiri-Erewa criticised what she described as declining professional standards in journalism during a panel session in Lagos on Saturday. The event was organised to mark Kike Abati’s 20th anniversary in the media industry.
During her remarks, the NiDCOM chairperson accused some journalists of making claims without properly establishing the facts. She cited a previous controversy in which she said Oseni had misrepresented her reaction to a social media post as an endorsement of an offensive description of Igbo people.
Dabiri-Erewa explained that the controversy began when she reacted with a smiling emoji to a post by a social media user she identified as Stephanie, who allegedly operated an X account under the name “Voice of Igbos”.
According to her account, Oseni subsequently accused her of describing Igbo people as “monkeys and gorillas”, a statement she denied making.
“Somebody replies to her. Then I do a smiley. And then Rufai Oseni comes and says, Abike Dabiri calls everybody — Igbos — monkeys and gorillas,” she said.
She argued that journalists should be held accountable for their reporting and must also demonstrate responsibility in how they interpret and communicate information.
“We have to ensure that you hold people responsible, but you must be responsible yourself. So we will not accept irresponsible journalism,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
She further expressed concern about what she considered a deterioration in professional ethics within the media industry.
“And let me tell you, some journalism is going to the dogs. There’s no journalism anymore. There are no standards. There are no values,” she added.
Responding through a series of posts on X, Oseni criticised Dabiri-Erewa for raising the issue at a public event, arguing that she should concentrate on the responsibilities of the commission she leads rather than engaging in a public dispute with him.
“Abike Dabiri is more concerned about attacking Rufai Oseni in public instead of doing her job,” he wrote.
The ARISE Television presenter also rejected her explanation of the social media incident, maintaining that reacting with a laughing emoji to a post that denigrated an ethnic group amounted to endorsing its message.
“You are guilty as charged. How can you share a laughter emoji at a post that denigrates a tribal group? I put it to you, your laughter here was an endorsement of a denigrating tweet against a certain ethnic group,” Oseni said.
He challenged the NiDCOM chairperson to a public debate, insisting that he was prepared to defend his position and explain why he believed her reaction amounted to an endorsement of the controversial post.
“Your problem is you can’t stand the truth. I will like to challenge you to a debate on this issue where I will speak the truth to your face and prove to the world you endorse bigotry,” he wrote.
Oseni also called on Dabiri-Erewa to focus on the commission’s mandate and its responsibilities to Nigerians living abroad.
The exchange has brought renewed attention to questions about journalistic accountability, the interpretation of social media reactions and the responsibility of public figures and media professionals when discussing sensitive ethnic issues.