‘Without Omo Igbo cheating me’ — Bokku apologises for not reviewing ‘offensive’ ad

Bokku Mart, the Nigerian grocery chain, has issued a publicapology following intense criticism over a promotional video that social mediausers widely condemned as “tribalistic”. The controversial video, which has since been deleted,featured influencer Defolah making remarks that implied Igbo traders cheattheir customers. “So you mean I can get beans and garri Ijebu at Bokkuwithout any Omo Igbo cheating me?” the content creator asked. “It’s so relaxing to shop without someone pulling you fromthe left and right, shouting my colour.” The comment triggered widespread outrage, with many accusingthe brand of promoting ethnic discrimination and disrespecting the Igbocommunity. In response to the online firestorm, Defolah stated that herremarks were not intended to promote tribalism. Addressing the controversy in a statement, Bokku Mart’smanagement said it was “deeply saddened and disturbed” by the video. The company condemned the offensive language, stating it was“unacceptable and deeply misaligned with Bokku’s values”. The grocery chain explained that the video was created by anexternal influencer and published by a third-party media firm without priorreview by their internal team. The retailer, however, accepted fullresponsibility for the incident. “We are deeply saddened and disturbed by a video recentlyshared online that contained offensive and hurtful language,” the statementreads. “The language used in the video was unacceptable and deeplymisaligned with Bokku’s values. While the content originated from an externalinfluencer and was published by a third-party media firm without prior reviewby our team, we take full responsibility for its appearance on our platforms. “We have since strengthened our content approval and vendoroversight processes to ensure such an incident never happens again. “Bokku Mart is more than a retail brand, we are a proudlyNigerian company built on love for our people and communities. “Our mission is to make everyday life better for ALLNigerians by ensuring access to quality products at affordable prices. Wecelebrate our nation’s rich diversity and stand firmly against all forms ofdiscrimination.”

Read More