If Salihu Yakubu had his way, Charles Oputa, renegade entertainer better known as ‘Charly Boy’ or ‘Area Fada’, would have been dead by now.
It almost happened on Tuesday, though — only that when Charly Boy was attacked at Wuse Market there were a few people who were not thinking like Yakubu.
Charly Boy was attacked at the market by northern traders opposed to his #OurMumuDonDo protests demanding the resignation or return of President Muhammadu Buhari from the UK, where he has been receiving treatment since May 7.
Although traffic wardens fled from the scene of the violence, south-eastern traders at the market came to his rescue, before security agents mobilised to prevent what was threatening to degenerate into a Hausa-Igbo crisis.
When Saharareporters posted its report of the attack on its Facebook page, it drew lots of comments, with Yakubu’s arguably the harshest.
“I wish I was there, let me lynch Charlyfool and Co to death.” Yakubu said. “I love Buhari and nobody can ridicule or humiliate my hero, Nigeria’s Messiah, Mohamadu Buhari.”
Strangely, 244 people (as of 5pm when the ICIR took a screenshot) had expressed support for Yakubu’s wish by using either of Facebook’s ‘like’ and ‘love’ buttons.
Yakubu’s comment also sparked a heated exchange of counter-comments from other users of the social media platform, with both supporters and opponents of the comment using unprintable words to advance their points.
Hopefully, security agents are on the alert.