Comedian Bovi Expresses Outrage Over Viral Video of Priest Smacking Altar Boy, Calls for Police Intervention
Nigerian comedian and actor Bovi has voiced his anger after a video showing a priest hitting an altar boy on the head during a wedding ceremony went viral.
Taking to social media on September 27, 2024, Bovi condemned the incident and criticized the culture of unchecked abuse in Nigeria, calling for the Nigerian police to intervene.
“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,” Bovi wrote in his post.
In the video, the priest is seen smacking the young boy’s head, an act that Bovi described as humiliating and harmful to the child’s confidence.
Bovi expressed frustration over the priest’s apology, calling it a “poorly staged” attempt to justify the behavior. The priest referred to his actions as a “normal correction” and downplayed the incident as minor, which only further enraged the comedian.
Bovi highlighted the seriousness of the situation, noting that the priest’s inability to control himself in public raises concerns about what he might be capable of in private.
“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 behavior, then we are all abnormal,” he remarked.
He also emphasized that such physical punishment, especially unprovoked, is both violent and criminal. Bovi directly called out the Nigerian police, urging them to take action against the priest.
“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,” he stated.
Bovi’s post sparked reactions from other notable figures, including Nigerian actresses Kate Henshaw and Etinosa Idemudia, who voiced their agreement with his stance.
Bovi concluded by warning of the dangerous precedent set by allowing such behavior to go unpunished, stating, “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.”
