Nigerian rapper Ycee has responded to criticism over his recent comments about what he described as the rise of “brain-rot” content in Nigeria, insisting that he stands by his remarks.

YCee recently sparked debate after using popular TikTok creator Peller as an example while describing what he called the “olodo uprising,” arguing that many Nigerians now favour low-quality entertainment over educational content.

His comments drew backlash from some social media users, who argued that he could have made his point without mentioning Peller by name.

Reacting during an interview with Cool FM Lagos, YCee said he has no reason to apologise for mentioning the TikToker.

He said:

“Some people are saying I shouldn’t have called Peller’s name, but I said what I said. If you feel offended, you should check yourself. A lot of people are also taking what I said out of context. The olodo uprising is even worse than I thought because there are so many people coming out to defend it.

“My call is to people that are tired of brain-rot contents. There is no reason why intelligent people cannot be streamers or content creators.”

YCee maintained that his criticism was aimed at encouraging more educational and intellectually engaging content on digital platforms rather than attacking individual creators.

Nigerian cryptocurrency entrepreneur Linus Williams Ifejirika, popularly known as Blord, has claimed he narrowly escaped an alleged kidnap attempt while driving his son to school.

In a video circulating on social media, Blord said the incident happened at about 7 a.m. while he was travelling with his son and his wife’s elder sister.

According to him, a blue Toyota Corolla suddenly blocked his vehicle, after which four armed men allegedly stepped out and fired at one of his tyres.

Blord claimed he managed to escape by accelerating and outrunning the suspected attackers.

He said:

“I was taking my son to school around 7am in the morning. I got a Blue Corolla double-cross my car, four guys with guns came out and shot my tyre.

“They chased me because my GLE, I put it on sport mode, I vanished, their Corolla couldn’t keep up.

“My son and my wife’s elder sister, we were three in the car.”

His account has generated mixed reactions on social media, with some users expressing concern over the alleged incident while others questioned parts of his narration.

As of the time of reporting, there has been no independent confirmation from law enforcement authorities regarding Blord’s claim of an attempted kidnapping.

The manager of veteran Nollywood actor Hanks Anuku, Moses Allen, has dismissed concerns about the actor’s mental health following a viral video that sparked speculation online.

The video, recorded in Wuse 2, Abuja, showed Anuku wearing jeans, a black top, and sneakers while sitting near a roadside, talking to himself and holding a disposable cup. The clip quickly circulated on social media, with many users questioning his well-being.

Reacting in an interview with Premium Times, Allen urged people not to jump to conclusions, explaining that Anuku’s creative personality is often misunderstood.

He said:

“So I understand you guys might have seen a video and then care to ask. It’s better to ask than to start making presumptions like other people used to do every time. You see, Hanks is a character; he’s an actor. So most of what he does is in a different world of his own.

“He does those things, people mistake it for madness or craziness. No, an artist is actually never really normal, you understand. An artist, in the true sense of it, is actually never really normal because your presence is in a different realm, in a creative realm. He does not really bother and does not live in a normal world as we do.”

Allen described Anuku as a responsible family man and insisted there was nothing unusual about the actor’s behaviour in the video.

“He’s a serious man, he’s a responsible man with family, with children, and everything. Whatever you guys see there is just like someone trying to… What is wrong with someone sitting down by the grass and then talking to himself and having a drink? Maybe he was trying to rehearse or imagine a scenario.

“He was imaginative in that video. I don’t see anything that he did that is wrong, or that the whole world is now saying, ‘Ah, this man is mad.’”

Allen added that he has managed Anuku for several years and maintained that the actor is mentally sound.

“Kindly let the world know that the legend Hanks Chukwuemeka Anuku is sound and has, in fact, never been in a better mental state than now. He’s simply an artist, and I really wonder why the world expects artists to be like normal people.”