‘You don’t feel our pains’ — Hilda Dokubo tells Tinubu

Veteran Nollywood actress Hilda Dokubo has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the worsening insecurity in Nigeria, accusing him of being detached from the suffering of ordinary citizens.

In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Dokubo expressed deep frustration over rising cases of kidnappings and violent attacks across the country, calling for urgent government action and empathy.

She contrasted the heavy security enjoyed by public officials with the harsh realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. “You live a great life. You drive in armoured vehicles escorted on both sides by armed security men. Your office has an armoured door and long security queues before you can be seen,” she said.

Dokubo argued that this gap has created a disconnect between leaders and citizens. “But not us ordinary Nigerians, and so you don’t feel our pain, and that’s why you can distance yourself from our cry by citing the example of Abraham and Isaac,” she stated.

She added that affected communities, especially farmers who have lost access to their farmlands due to insecurity, need practical solutions rather than symbolic gestures. “The farmers who lose their farmlands daily do not need your distance. They need empathy and action. They need you to protect the land. They need you to stop the insecurity that is plaguing their land,” she said.

Dokubo also referenced abducted schoolchildren, describing their ordeal as heartbreaking. “The children who were tied up, did you see that child? The one tied up with a stone, tied to his back, his legs and his hands tied together. How can that not move you, Mr President?” she asked.

She further lamented the fear experienced by parents of kidnapped children. “May no parent go through this fear, this fear of knowing that they may be the ones to bury their children or worse, not even see the corpse of their children,” she said.

She warned against normalising insecurity, adding: “Let all those who say this insecurity has always been here know that one day it might be their turn,” she cautioned.