You can’t bully me into silence, no one can ‘cancel’ me — Dayo Amusa

By David Adebayo

Nollywood actress and senior member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Dayo Amusa, has lashed out at social media users who have been attacking celebrities for continuing to promote their movies and businesses amid the ongoing outrage over the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Oyo State.

The actress, in a strongly worded statement shared on her social media page, accused some Nigerians of attempting to silence members of the creative industry through online bullying, insisting that entertainers should not be forced to halt their careers because of the country’s security challenges.

Amusa said the pressure and criticism directed at actors and filmmakers whenever they share their work online had become excessive, noting that many people fail to appreciate the sacrifices that go into producing films and sustaining careers in the entertainment industry.

According to her, many creatives finance movie productions through bank loans with high interest rates and cannot simply abandon their projects because of events beyond their control.

“The bullying many of you subject our colleagues to in the creative industry is crazy,” she wrote.

“They freely can’t share their opinion, they can’t post their jobs without being called insensitive.

“We go to banks to take loans to shoot movies with high interest rates, but you want us to suspend our jobs and be posting videos of kidnapping and cursing the government daily while you’re in your own office tweeting and enjoying your environment.”

The actress maintained that while citizens have the right to express concern over the worsening security situation, it was unfair to expect entertainers to stop promoting their livelihoods in order to prove their sympathy for victims.

Amusa also made it clear that she would not be intimidated by online critics, stressing that she had long resolved not to allow social media pressure to dictate how she runs her brand.

“The day I decided to start using this app actively, I made up my mind that many of you trolls don’t matter. I won’t pander to mobs as I didn’t build my brand on it,” she stated.

She further warned those who frequently attack her online to stay away from her page, emphasizing that she has multiple sources of income and would not tolerate what she described as unnecessary provocation.

“I have other strings of income. Don’t come under my post to act silly, I’ll send you home,” she added.

While criticizing online trolls, the actress expressed sympathy for the abducted pupils, teachers, and their families, adding her voice to the rising demands for their safe return.

“That said, may God bring succor to the family of the kids and teachers kidnapped in Oyo,” she said.