Popular comedian Anita Asuoha, widely known as Real Warri Pikin, has cancelled her planned comedy show in Warri, Delta State, citing what she called “unfortunate divisions” among ethnic groups in the state.
The comedian announced the cancellation in a statement on Instagram, saying she was disappointed by the continued ethnic tensions in a society where unity should come first. In an accompanying video, she described life as an entertainer from Delta State as “very exhausting” because of the tribal fault lines that run through it.
She pointed to longstanding friction between the Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri communities, saying the constant conflict wears her down. While she acknowledged that people have a right to fight for what belongs to them, she questioned why such disputes often turn violent or oppressive. She said she has personally faced bullying and hostility in Delta State over the past eight years, adding that the region she once knew simply as “Warri” while growing up is now being reshaped as different groups reclaim and redefine their territories.
According to the comedian, the trouble began when an indigene connected to the event centre where she planned to hold the show threatened to disrupt the programme. The objection centred on her promotional materials, which described the event as being held “in Warri.” Those opposed to the billing insisted the show should instead have been advertised as “Real Warri Pikin Live in Uvwie,” arguing that Uvwie is a distinct community from Warri.
She said the pressure escalated quickly, with critics demanding she pull down billboards, delete social media posts, stop radio jingles and take down roll-up banners advertising the event. A petition was reportedly written against the show, with threats that if it went ahead, organisers would show up to disrupt it. She said some people went further, demanding she drop “Warri” from her stage name entirely.
Real Warri Pikin said the scale of the backlash and the demands placed on her had become overwhelming, ultimately leaving her too drained to proceed with the show.
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