Outspoken Nigerian hip-hop icon, Eedris Abdulkareem, has ignited a storm of controversy with explosive claims that he was offered a staggering N200 million bribe by an individual claiming to be a senator. The offer, he says, was an attempt to either silence or covertly control the impact of his latest protest song, Tell Your Papa, which was recently banned by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
In a viral video that has stirred intense debate across social media, Abdulkareem narrates a bizarre and unsettling phone conversation in which the unidentified caller, who claimed to be a senator, offered him financial support under the pretext of “underground sponsorship” for his activism and politically-charged music.
“So I got a call from one criminal who claimed to be a honourable. He didn’t even let me catch his name. After claiming to be a honourable, he ended the call claiming to be a senator,” Abdulkareem said. “He told me he had a meeting with Seyi, Tinubu’s son, and some government officials. He said, ‘They’re going to call you and try to bribe you. Don’t listen to them. We’re sponsoring you underground.’ I asked him, ‘Who told you I needed anything?’”
The veteran rapper said he swiftly rejected the offer and questioned the motive behind the suspicious overture.
“Immediately I heard his voice, I knew he was one of them—sent by those who fear the truth. He said, ‘We will give you N200 million, just don’t listen to them.’ I told him off. I asked, ‘Was it you who sponsored the video I made?’ You people are thieves! May God punish all of you,” Abdulkareem declared in the video. “You think you can record me for a media ambush? I’ve been ready for people like you long ago.”
His fiery response, laced with frustration and defiance, has only added fuel to the growing fire surrounding Tell Your Papa—a song that directly challenges the nation’s leadership, economic mismanagement, and the deepening hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.
The NBC’s decision to ban the track on Thursday, April 10, has triggered widespread backlash from civil society groups, artists, and freedom of expression advocates. Critics argue that the move is yet another attempt by the government to suppress dissenting voices.
The Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) criticized the ban, warning that it may backfire by increasing the song’s popularity and resonance. “It only serves to amplify the song’s reach and relevance in light of the current socio-economic challenges facing Nigerians,” the association stated.
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) also condemned the NBC’s action as “a blatant abuse of regulatory power,” accusing the agency of morphing into a government propaganda tool. “The NBC has completely confused its role as a supposedly independent media regulatory body with that of a propaganda agency charged with shielding the government from criticism or embarrassment,” said Ayomide Eweje, MRA Programme Officer.
As public outrage grows over censorship and political interference in creative expression, Abdulkareem’s bold stand has reinvigorated national conversations on the power of protest music and its role in a truly democratic society. In a nation where dissent is often silenced, Tell Your Papa is becoming more than just a song—it is a symbol of resistance.
PIONEER NEWS 