The Kano-based singer, Dauda ‘Rarara’ Kahutu, and Davido have engaged in a heated exchange over the Afrobeats star’s outfit during his performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup countdown series.
Davido wore a black jacket featuring 46 green lapels bearing the names of the 39 pupils and seven teachers recently kidnapped in Oyo, with the inscription “Bring Them Home” printed on the back as a call for their release.
In a video shared on Facebook, Rarara, known for performing at All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rallies, criticised Davido for bringing a sensitive security issue to global attention.
Speaking in Hausa, he argued that highlighting the kidnapping on an international stage could undermine efforts by security agencies to secure the victims’ release.
“What Davido exhibited was crude behaviour. How can you go and expose Nigeria’s secrets to the world? Why will he give publicity to insurgents?” he said.
“The insurgents kidnapped these students to force the security operatives to release their people, and our government is insisting on not releasing them while trying to free the children. At this critical stage, he went to expose our security issue globally during the World Cup.”
Rarara also alleged that Davido’s action was politically driven, referencing his family’s connection to the opposition in Osun State.
“Just because his uncle is vying for re-election in an opposition party and Tinubu is in the APC, he printed the names of the kidnapped students and went to showcase them in America,” he said.
“What he did was akin to derobing one’s mother and taking a picture and publicly announcing it in the marketplace. When you have a huge following on social media and give publicity to insurgents, it only makes things worse.
“If a small kidnapper abducts someone and little attention is paid, once a content creator with thousands of followers reposts it, bigger insurgents may become involved, making the situation worse.”
Rarara also recalled the kidnapping of his mother, claiming that public comments by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar delayed her release.
“I am a living witness because when my mother was kidnapped, it remained only a few days for her release to be secured when Atiku Abubakar publicly called for her release. Because of that, it took several more days before she was released. So his public statement led to more harm than good,” he said.
Davido responded by reposting the video on his X page with the caption, ‘Debido,’ appearing to mock Rarara’s pronunciation of his name.
In a follow-up post written in Hausa, the Grammy-nominated singer urged Rarara to place truth above politics.
“First of all, anyone who truly loves Nigeria will not keep silent about the insecurity plaguing the country, nor will they prevent others from expressing their concerns about it,” he wrote.
“A lack of compassion, putting personal interests first, becoming a political stooge, and prioritising self-interest above the welfare of the people are not things to be proud of. Be patriotic, stop placing politics above the truth, and fear God in everything you do, @kahuturarara.”
The exchange comes just hours after Davido and Reno Omokri traded words on social media over comments regarding delays in Omokri’s diplomatic posting to Mexico.
Omokri had also criticised Davido’s World Cup concert outfit, arguing that it could damage Nigeria’s image and potentially benefit terrorist groups.