Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has taken the campaign for the release of abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State to the global stage after using his appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup countdown concert to draw attention to the victims.
Davido performed at the World Cup countdown concert held on Wednesday night at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, ahead of Thursday’s opening ceremony of the tournament in Mexico.
The singer appeared on stage wearing a custom black leather moto jacket designed by stylist Hollyandroo. Pinned across the outfit were the names of more than 40 schoolchildren and teachers reportedly abducted in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, while the words “Bring Them Home” were boldly written across the back in white graffiti-style lettering.
The outfit immediately became one of the most talked-about moments of the night, as Davido used one of football’s biggest global platforms to call attention to the plight of the abducted victims.
The affected pupils and teachers were said to have been abducted in Ahoro-Esinle and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Davido’s outfit also reportedly carried inscriptions identifying those still in captivity and those confirmed dead.
His appearance came as FIFA Sound unveiled its largest music project yet, an 18-track official World Cup album, with Davido featuring on “No Place Like Home” alongside Nelly Furtado and Major Lazer.
While many fans had expected a purely musical performance, Davido’s wardrobe turned the moment into a humanitarian and political statement, drawing international attention to the security crisis and the abducted schoolchildren and teachers.
However, the move has attracted criticism from Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, who faulted the singer’s public advocacy and warned that global publicity around abduction and terrorism cases may complicate rescue efforts.
Reacting in a statement on X on Thursday, Omokri argued that publicity does not pressure terrorists but rather strengthens them by giving them the attention they seek.
“Publicity helps terrorists. It does not pressure them. They treasure it,” Omokri said.
He said it was a mistake to assume that global outrage puts pressure on terrorist groups, insisting that such groups thrive on visibility and fear.
“It is a very big mistake to think that publicity, or global outrage, pressures terrorists. Quite the contrary. They relish it. They thrive on it,” he said.
Omokri also cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s famous warning that “publicity is the oxygen of terrorism,” arguing that terror groups rely on attention to amplify fear and increase their leverage.
According to him, when abduction cases are given massive global attention, the pressure often shifts from the perpetrators to the government, while the victims may become more valuable to their captors.
He said his own past involvement in advocacy campaigns had made him reconsider the impact of publicity on hostage situations.
“I was informed by top-level security officials that my activities were actually making Leah Sharibu’s release less likely,” Omokri said.
He added that by raising the profile of a victim, campaigners may unintentionally make such a person too valuable for abductors to release easily.
Omokri also referenced the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign, claiming that the international attention around the Chibok girls’ abduction complicated rescue efforts because it allegedly made the abductors increase security around the victims.
“If #BringBackOurGirls had not been made such a global phenomenon, their abductors would not have increased security around the girls,” he said.
He, however, maintained that the Nigerian government was not ignoring the current case involving the abducted Oyo pupils and teachers, adding that security agencies were making efforts to secure their release.
“This is not to say the Nigerian government is resting on its oars in the present case. Every effort is being made to secure the release of the children and their teachers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially opened on Thursday at the historic Azteca Stadium in Mexico, with Afrobeats star Burna Boy and Colombian singer Shakira delivering the headline performance at the opening ceremony.
The duo performed “Dai Dai,” the tournament’s official song, before more than 80,000 fans, setting the tone for the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
The ceremony featured a giant World Cup trophy, fireworks and colourful dancers inside the renovated stadium, which previously hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals.
Mexican pop-rock band Mana opened the show, while Venezuelan star Danny Ocean performed alongside dancers in traditional Mexican attire. Belinda and Los Ángeles Azules also performed “Por Ella,” before Colombian star J Balvin thrilled the crowd with “Qué Calor,” “Una a la Vez” with Ryan Castro, and “I Like It” with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.
The finale saw Shakira and Burna Boy take the stage, with Shakira dressed in yellow and purple and Burna Boy appearing in jersey jackets. Their performance drew loud applause from the crowd and further underlined the growing global influence of Afrobeats.
The 2026 World Cup is the biggest edition in the history of the tournament, featuring 48 countries, 104 matches and 16 host cities across Mexico, Canada and the United States.
It is also the first time in nearly 100 years that the tournament is being jointly hosted by three countries.
For Nigeria, however, the global football celebration has now carried an additional message, as Davido’s appearance turned attention from entertainment to the continuing insecurity affecting schoolchildren and teachers back home.
The post “Bring Them Home” — Davido Takes Campaign For Abducted Oyo Pupils To World Cup Stage As Omokri Warns Publicity May Help Terrorists appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
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