Why Nigerian Artistes Are Speaking Out on Insecurity and Kidnapping

Why Nigerian Artistes Are Speaking Out on Insecurity and Kidnapping

Author: ISRAEL OLUWAFEMI MAKANJUOLA November 29, 2025 Duration: 5:21

Explore why Nigerian artistes such as Davido, Rema, Falz, and IllBliss are using social media to highlight insecurity across the country. This episode breaks down kidnappings, ransom trends, and the critical role of celebrity voices in shaping national awareness.


We examine why artistes are speaking out about insecurity and how their online reactions reflect the growing crisis in Nigeria. While not a deep dive, the discussion provides an accurate, surface-level understanding of verified incidents including kidnappings, bandit attacks, and rising ransom demands. Analysts now describe these trends as the economy of insecurity.


The episode shows how artistes leverage their social platforms to raise awareness. They are not profiting from these crises but amplifying updates, responding to attacks, and drawing attention to the kidnap-for-ransom epidemic. Documented posts and public statements from Davido, Rema, Falz, IllBliss, and others illustrate this pattern.


Listeners gain insight into how repeated attacks across multiple states, increasing ransom payments, and widespread fear have created a criminal ecosystem that functions like an economy. The conversation also explains why artistes feel compelled to speak publicly and how their online responses influence national awareness.


For a deeper, data-driven analysis, read the full Substack article Nigeria’s Kidnap for Ransom Industry: The Economy of Insecurity here:



At Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx, the conversation starts where the music ends. Hosted by music journalist Femi Makx, this isn't a typical interview show; it's a deep, meandering exploration of how the sounds we love are forged. Each episode is built on the premise that a song is never just a song-it's a product of identity, a response to power structures, a spark of creativity shaped by its time. You'll hear long-form, in-depth conversations that deliberately wander, connecting artistic choices to the wider currents of youth culture and social change. The podcast operates from a simple, powerful idea: to examine music not as a passive soundtrack, but as an active, living commentary. This means peeling back the layers of a hit record to find the personal and political stories underneath, or understanding how a specific creative scene reflects broader shifts in society. The analysis is thoughtful and the atmosphere is more like a candid backstage chat than a formal Q&A. It’s for anyone who listens to a track and wonders about the world that made it, who sees the artist as a citizen and their work as a cultural artifact. Tune in for a perspective that treats the creative landscape with the seriousness it deserves, making each episode a hangout that challenges how you hear everything.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Artiste Hangout with Femi Makx
Podcast Episodes
Shallipopi Auracle Album Review and Predictions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:38
On this episode of The Artiste Hangout Podcast with Femi Makx, we dive into Shallipopi’s highly anticipated Auracle album. We discuss possible challenges including oversaturation, repeated formulas, album bloat, feature-…
Rema, Young Jonn, Asake, Blue Disco: What to Expect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:29
In this episode, we break down Young Jonn’s highly anticipated album Blue Disco and dive into the impact of having Rema and Asake featured on key tracks like Lalala. We explore how the album blends emotion, introspection…
The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift: Review & Reaction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:58
Taylor Swift’s twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl is here and it is already dominating global conversations. On this episode of The Artiste Hangout Podcast with Femi Makx, we unpack everything shaping this new e…
Beyond Music: Power, Policy, and Youth Voices in Nigeria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:58
An artiste can sing, sure. But in our world today, being an artiste goes beyond music. Anyone with a message of value has a song, and that song does not have to sound like Drake, Beyoncé, Tems, Wizkid, or Davido. Your tr…
This One Is Personal by Tiwa Savage Podcast Prediction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:49
This one right here is personal……Tiwa Savage is about to drop her new album and I’ve got some thoughts. From the title alone you can already tell it’s not just music, it’s a statement. In this episode I break down what t…
Why Gospel Music Feels Like Everything Else Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:27
In this episode, I sat with Toni and Kalhm to talk about something a lot of people have been noticing — gospel music is starting to sound like everything else.We talked about the pressure to chase virality, how trends ar…