Nigerian actor and comedian Bovi has expressed his anger over a viral video showing a priest knocking an altar boy on the head during a wedding ceremony.
Taking to social media on Friday, Bovi posted the video, condemned the incident and criticised the lack of accountability for such acts of abuse in Nigeria.
He wrote, “I’ve been trying to ignore this video like it never happened but after watching the apology video this morning, I’m more livid and miffed at the rate at which most forms of abuse go unchecked in Nigeria.”
In his post, the actor spoke about the incident at length, expressing his rage about the priest’s actions.
He reflected on a subsequent apology video released by the priest, which he found unsatisfactory.
“In the poorly staged apology video, the priest described his actions as a “normal correction” and “a minor correction.”
He was even encouraged by another apology of an adult who I couldn’t tell who he was exactly, that he would have blamed the priest if he didn’t do that,” he wrote.
Bovi added, “He hit a defenceless child. He humiliated that child. He harmed that child’s confidence. He hit the head of the child for a very flimsy reason. Now imagine when that child does something really wrong.”
Bovi emphasised the gravity of the situation, questioning the priest’s ability to maintain control in a public setting.
“A priest who couldn’t control himself in public. Take a moment to think about what he’s capable of doing behind closed doors. If we think this is normal behaviour, then we are all abnormal.”
Bovi, however, called on the Nigerian police to intervene in the matter, noting the broader implications of actions like the priest’s.
“Knocking a kid in the head unprovoked is a violent and criminal act. @nigerianpolice why haven’t you invited this man? If you fight for one child, you will be saving very many others. We must prevent and put out small fires before we all get consumed.
“In a society where a virgin priest who preaches the teachings of Jesus uses physical harm to convey his unprocessed emotions, there is bound to be doom. We’re probably in hell already,” he concluded.
