XENOPHOBIA: TYLA DROPS LAGOS FROM APOP WORLD TOUR
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla Laura Seethal, popularly known as Tyla, has dropped Lagos from the schedule of her APOP World Tour following growing calls by some Nigerians to boycott her planned concert over renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
A check of the singer’s updated tour itinerary on Friday showed that the Lagos concert, previously slated for December 22, had been removed from the list of tour dates.
While performances across Europe, North America and South Africa remain on the schedule, Nigeria is no longer included among the destinations.
The move comes just days after Tyla announced Lagos as the only Nigerian stop on the tour before its final performances in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9. The announcement sparked mixed reactions on social media.
Some Nigerians urged concert organisers to cancel the event, arguing that South African artistes should not perform in Nigeria while Nigerians continue to face xenophobic violence in South Africa. Others maintained that musicians should not be blamed for political or societal issues beyond their control.
The controversy also drew a response from African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who opposed attempts to hold Tyla responsible for the attacks.
“Nigerians should direct their anger at their real enemies… No one should hold a talented musician like @Tyllaaaaaaa vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia,” Sowore wrote on X, insisting that the concert should proceed.
The debate intensified after activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his Ratel Movement to prevent the show from taking place.
In a statement posted on Facebook, VeryDarkMan declared that Tyla’s concert would not hold in Nigeria, accusing South African celebrities of failing to condemn attacks on other Africans living in the country.
Tyla’s decision to remove Lagos from her tour schedule comes amid renewed concern over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa following reports of fresh xenophobic attacks and the deaths of Nigerian nationals, including Chika Ibe in Cape Town.
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