How a Nigerian artiste, Eedris Abdulkareem turned the country’s sitting president against hip-hop with one song

In 2004, the Nigerian rapper released his third studio album, Jaga Jaga, and its title track quickly became more than just another popular song. It became a blunt musical commentary on corruption, poverty, insecurity, and the frustrations of ordinary Nigerians.

The song was so direct that it caught the attention of the country's leader at the time, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

What followed was a clash between a veteran rapper and a sitting president, with the song eventually restricted from radio airplay but continued to circulate among Nigerians, particularly in nightclubs and on the streets. 

The song’s chorus was catchy. Abdulkareem sang, “Nigeria jaga jaga, everything scatter scatter, poor man dey suffer suffer, Gbosa, gbosa…

Which armed robber no want money? Which armed robber no want jolly? Nah political armed robber be that. Nah wetin dey kill Nigeria be that.”

By describing political figures as “political armed robber[s]”, Abdulkareem placed corruption and bad governance in the same moral space as criminality. The song captured the anger of Nigerians who felt that the promises of democracy had not translated into better living conditions and the street listened.

When ‘Jaga Jaga’ reached Obasanjo

Obasanjo was Nigeria’s sitting president. While “Jaga Jaga” gained traction among Nigerians because of its depiction of everyday frustrations, the song also became a problem for the government.

The song was banned from radio airplay under the Obasanjo administration, although it continued to be played in nightclubs and circulated outside mainstream broadcasting.

For Abdulkareem, however, the reaction from the presidency was proof that his message had reached its intended destination.

YOU MIGHT LIKE: Meet the Nigerian woman who shocked everyone by becoming the country's first female guitarist before dying at just 28

Years later, the artiste recalled waking up to a phone call from someone telling him to switch on his television because Obasanjo was talking about him.

He said he heard the former president praising other songs before turning his attention to “one stupid boy” who had recorded “Nigeria Jagajaga”, adding that it was the singer’s father and mother who were “Jagajaga”.

Instead of seeing the criticism as a defeat, Abdulkareem said he was happy.

For him, the fact that the president had responded meant that the message had travelled from his microphone to the highest level of government.

Obasanjo was not done with the song

The controversy did not end with the restriction of the song from radio. Almost a decade later, Obasanjo was still referring to “Jaga Jaga”.

In August 2012, while speaking at a forum organised by the Nigeria Leadership Initiative in Lagos, the former president returned to the song while discussing what he described as Nigerians’ loss of faith in themselves and their country.

“One of the worst problems Nigeria is facing is disbelief. Nigerians no longer believe in themselves neither do they believe in their country.”

“That takes me back to that song ‘jaga jaga’. How could a sane man dare to call his country jaja jaja?” It is the height of blasphemy.”

Obasanjo also argued that young Nigerians were being prepared for future leadership and questioned whether the country could move forward with people who expressed such views about Nigeria.

It was a striking moment in the history of Nigerian music because the argument had moved beyond whether a song was catchy or controversial. At its centre was a bigger disagreement about whether calling out a country’s failures amounted to attacking the country itself.

Eedris had always used music to confront uncomfortable issues.

The confrontation over “Jaga Jaga” did not come out of nowhere.

Long before he became known for aiming at political leaders, Abdulkareem had built a reputation for using popular music to address issues that many Nigerians recognised but did not always discuss openly.

RELATED: I rejected N200m bribe from a politician over my banned song - Eedris Abdulkareem

His “Mr Lecturer”, released before “Jaga Jaga”, tackled sexual harassment in Nigerian universities. The song told the story of a lecturer demanding sexual favours from a student in exchange for academic success, turning a serious abuse of power into a catchy but uncomfortable national conversation.

Then came “Jaga Jaga”, which widened his target from the classroom to the country itself.

His later works continued in the same direction. Songs such as “Country Hard” and “Egunje” addressed poverty, corruption, inequality, extortion, and the frustrations of ordinary Nigerians. 

This explains why “Jaga Jaga” was not simply an unexpected political outburst from a pop star.

Abdulkareem had consistently treated music as a platform for commentary, even when doing so placed him at odds with powerful people.

History repeated itself in 2025 with another song, ‘Tell Your Papa’

More than two decades after “Jaga Jaga”, Abdulkareem found himself in a remarkably familiar position.

In 2025, he released “Tell Your Papa”, a protest song aimed at the administration of President Bola Tinubu through his son, Seyi.

The title came from the rapper’s message to Seyi: speak to your father about what Nigerians were experiencing.

“Seyi, how far? Omo Emilokan. You say your papa nah the best president. After 2 years, tell me weting your papa don do.

Hunger wan kill us. To buy food nah luxury. Fish, Rice, Beans, Yam, Garri… People dey jump inside Lagoon because of economic hardship,” he sang.

The song touched on economic hardship, hunger, and insecurity, and quickly gained attention online.

On April 9, 2025, the National Broadcasting Commission directed Nigerian radio and television stations not to air “Tell Your Papa”. The commission classified the song as “Not To Be Broadcast”, citing what it described as its “objectionable nature” and referencing Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

However, the restriction did not stop the song from spreading online or being played from streaming platforms. 

The sad reality

Perhaps the most striking part of the “Jaga Jaga” story is not that Obasanjo disliked the song.

READ ALSO: Meet the 22-year-old Nigerian street model who caught an American Grammy-winning singer’s attention and landed international deals across 4 countries

It is that almost two decades later, Abdulkareem could still point to the same song and argue that its central complaints had not disappeared.

On January 12, 2020, the rapper appeared on Channels Television’s Rubbing Minds and reflected on the controversy that had followed him since the song became a national talking point.

“I was very happy that my message got to the president. I was very happy that the president talked back at me because that means they were listening and today I’ve been vindicated again because Nigeria is still jaga jaga,” he said.

He also stated that he would continue to speak his truth through music because that was the legacy he wanted to leave behind.