Former senator and civic activist Shehu Sani has issued a sharp rebuke to rapper Nicki Minaj after the music star used a United Nations platform to speak about attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
Minaj (Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty) told an event organised by the United States that “in Nigeria, Christians are being targeted,” saying “churches have been burned, families have been torn apart… simply because of how they pray.” She made the remarks while appearing alongside US officials on Tuesday and framed her intervention as a call to “stand up in the face of injustice.”
But Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in Nigeria’s 8th National Assembly, condemned Minaj’s remarks as ill‑informed and opportunistic. In a stinging reaction he said the rapper was spreading “lies about fictitious genocide in Nigeria,” and accused her of speaking without any direct knowledge of the communities affected by violence.
“She has never taken any humanitarian cause in Nigeria and has never helped anyone,” Sani said, contrasting Minaj to Western celebrities who, he said, have historically championed causes such as hunger, education and women’s and children’s rights. He added that her public persona and performances are “incompatible with our African culture and tradition” and argued she was not a role model for Nigerian or African girls.
Sani further alleged Minaj’s intervention was intended to “appease and please President Trump,” asserting that her comments were driven by political calculation rather than conscience. He urged the rapper to focus her attention on her country of birth, Trinidad and Tobago, where he said her voice could be put to constructive use.
The exchange highlights how international commentary on Nigeria’s security and religious tensions can quickly become politicised. Nigeria has long struggled with communal and extremist violence in some regions; public figures speaking from abroad are often met with scrutiny over accuracy and motive.
Minaj’s supporters say celebrities have a place in drawing global attention to human rights concerns. Critics like Sani insist such interventions must be based on careful fact‑finding and local engagement rather than headline‑seeking rhetoric. The controversy raises fresh questions about the responsibility of high‑profile outsiders when addressing volatile domestic issues—and the diplomatic baggage that can come with celebrity advocacy.
