Brand influencer Defolah has issued a public apology following backlash over an offensive advertisement she featured in for grocery store Bokku Mart.
The video, which surfaced online earlier in the week, was originally posted on Bokku Mart’s official social media platforms.
In the controversial clip, Defolah said, “I can get beans and Garri Ijebu at Bokku without any Omo Igbo cheating me,” — a statement that immediately sparked outrage among social media users, who accused both the influencer and the brand of promoting ethnic stereotyping and tribal discrimination.
One X user, @Pharaoh, wrote:
“Imagine a brand as big as Bokku Mart relying on ethnic stereotyping and slurs for marketing. The whole marketing team sat down, watched this video, approved it and not one person thought ‘without any Omo Igbo cheating me’ was wrong???? You people need to do better.”
Similarly, another user, @Drew, added:
“That’s exactly what I discussed with my guy yesterday. With the way tribalism war is in this country, you guys still come up with this rubbish. Omo na wah for them sha.”
Responding to the backlash, Defolah posted a video apology on her X page on Tuesday, admitting that her words were offensive.
She said:
“I am deeply sorry for my words. I have definitely learned from this. My statement came off as tribalist and offensive, though that was not my intention.”
Defolah added that she had reached out to Bokku Mart to personally apologise, noting that “everyone involved should take responsibility.”
Meanwhile, Bokku Mart has since deleted the controversial advert and released an official apology to Nigerians.
In a statement shared with The Guardian, the company said:
“We are sorry, very sorry. An influencer used the words and she’s been cautioned. We’ve taken it down everywhere and do not condone this at all. If anything, we are very pro-Nigerian in our dealings and will never intentionally hurt any arm of what makes us a beautiful country.”