The Edo State Government has sealed an event centre in the state after a party where popular Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem, criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The facility, identified as Mega Hub, also operates as an eatery.
The event centre hosted a party on April 3 tagged, ‘Mega Rave: A Night with the Legends,’ during which Abdulkareem was among the artistes who performed.
During his performance, the rapper paused briefly and launched into a criticism of Tinubu’s administration.
A video clip of the moment, which has since circulated on social media, showed Abdulkareem mocking the President over his visit to Plateau State following the killing of about 30 people in Gari Yawaye, Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area, on March 29.
In the clip, Abdulkareem faulted Tinubu for failing to visit the community despite being accompanied by a heavy security presence.
Tinubu had arrived at the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Heipang at about 4:59 pm on April 2, roughly 36 kilometres from the scene of the attack, where he addressed politicians, traditional rulers and selected victims before departing.
At the Edo event, the rapper also described Tinubu as the worst president Nigeria has ever had.
He further said anyone supporting the President and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would suffer for making the wrong choice.
Abdulkareem later performed briefly on the country’s economic hardship, blaming the President for the situation.
Centre Sealed Days After Show
According to Premium Times, the event centre was reportedly sealed on Tuesday, just four days after the party.
In a video uploaded on on Wednesday, a man alleged that the state government shut the facility because of Abdulkareem’s criticism of Tinubu during the event.
“This is a very disturbing development in Edo State,” the man said.
A short clip attached to the post showed the entrance of the centre barricaded with red tape.
An inscription seen on the wall beside the main gate read, “Sealed by EDSG 7/4/26,” indicating that the facility was sealed by the Edo State Government on Tuesday.
Like Tinubu, Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, is a member of the APC. Okpebholo has repeatedly pledged to deliver Edo State for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The governor had also vowed last year to resign from office if Tinubu failed to win Edo in 2027.
Govt Denies Political Motive
Commenting on the development, the Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, initially told Premium Times that he was unaware that the government had sealed the facility.
He, however, later confirmed that the event centre was indeed sealed.
Afegbua denied that the action was linked to Abdulkareem’s criticism of Tinubu, insisting that it was based on security concerns.
“It was sealed because of a security issue. It has nothing to do with anybody criticising him (Tinubu),” he said.
The commissioner, however, did not provide details of the alleged security issue.
He also disclosed that the facility had been reopened by the government.
“It is already unsealed. They (owners) are back with their business,” he added.
When asked when the centre was unsealed, Afegbua declined to give a direct answer.
“Go there and confirm yourself,” he said before ending the call.
