Nigerian grocery store Bokku Mart has apologised to Nigerians after a video advertisement sparked outrage online for containing ethnic slurs.
The store deleted the video, which featured an influencer making a controversial statement that offended many viewers. In the advert, the influencer said:
“I can get beans and Garri Ijebu at Bokku without any Omo Igbo cheating me.”
The comment quickly drew backlash on social media.
An X user named Pharaoh wrote:
“Imagine a big brand like Bokku Mart using tribal slurs in an advert. How did the marketing team approve this? You need to do better.”
Another user, Osondu Chibuzo, added:
“People were taught from childhood to hate the Igbo tribe. I don’t expect Bokku Mart to issue a serious apology. I’ll keep shopping at Justrite and Jendol — their customer service is better anyway.”
User Drew commented:
“With all the tribal tension in this country, how can anyone think this is okay? This is rubbish.”
Ola also reacted:
“Cheating is not about tribe. Anyone can cheat, no matter where they’re from. The advert was unnecessary and insensitive.”
Chisom Miracle added:
“Bokku Mart is using tribalism for marketing. This will backfire. You don’t insult a whole tribe just to sell your products.”
When pressmen contacted Bokku Mart, a company representative said:
“We are very sorry. The influencer used those words on her own, and she has been cautioned.
We’ve deleted the video everywhere. Bokku Mart does not support tribalism we are proudly Nigerian and respect all communities.”