There was drama in Lagos on Thursday as Fuji legend K1 De Ultimate finally acknowledged his 15-year-old son with Nollywood actress Bisola Badmus.
The emotional scene unfolded during K1’s live performance, when Malik Anifowoshe, aware that his father was the one performing, came on stage to greet him.
At first, K1 did not recognize the boy and witnesses said he seemed genuinely confused.
But after taking a closer look, she suddenly hugged Malik, prayed for him, and publicly accepted him for the first time in 15 years.
But while the moment melted hearts inside the venue, Nigerians online were not quick to applaud.
For more than a decade, the saga of fatherhood had been marked by silence, denial and distance.
Bisola Badmus has long spoken of going through a lot to raise Malik alone, especially as she battled a brain tumor that kept her in and out of the hospital, and at one point publicly raised funds for her treatment.
Sources close to the family have claimed that K1 occasionally sent money to support Bisola during his illness, but never accepted responsibility for the boy or publicly associated with him until Thursday’s dramatic moment.
This is why many Nigerians felt that public acceptance came too late and too conveniently.
One Facebook user where the video was trending said: “This guy just likes to be in the news for the wrong reasons. So he waited for the guy to get on stage before accepting it? Why not do this years ago?”
Another commentator did not forgive K1 or Bisola:
“The joke is on both of them. Why does it seem like they are forcing the son to accept the father? Something is not right.”
Another user by the name Femite Cruise said
“Why wait until the child is Instagram age before recognizing him? The way K1 looked at first, he didn’t even recognize his own child.”
While some Nigerians applauded the eventual reconciliation, others described it as performative, belated and insensitive, especially given Bisola’s years of suffering and the boy’s long wait for recognition.
The party was attended by actresses and socialites who were enchanted by K1’s music even as they rejoiced in Badmus.