Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), on Wednesday amplified a derogatory X post that referred to Igbos, Nigerian citizens of South-East extraction, as monkeys and gorillas.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa had earlier posted a video of a trafficked girl she identified as Mercy, who was rescued from Libya on Monday.

In reaction to Mrs Dabiri-Erewa’s post, an X user, Wale Akere, posting via @akerele_s, lauded the NIDCOM boss for her work while berating Igbos as “monkeys, children of gorillas and bastards.”

“My sister you are doing well allow those monkeys to continue to make unnecessary noises they are born to be ungrateful people. Those animals tagging you they are children of gorilla history told us about them. Kudos to you madam @abikedabiri. @Voiceofigbos see what my sister has done omo ale jatijati,” @akerele_s posted.

In apparent approval of @akerele_s’s toxic post, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa reposted it with memes of laughter, amplifying the message. On Mrs Dabiri-Erewa’s timeline, the post has been viewed by over 15,000 people, gathering more than 53 reposts and over 100 comments.

Some X users berated Mrs Dabiri-Erewa for amplifying a derogatory post calling Igbos monkeys, saying it further deepened divisive ethnic and tribal tensions.

Reacting to the post on Mrs Dabiri-Erewa’s timeline, @O.David09926893 said: “This is the lowest I have ever seen in the history of Nigeria!!!”

@fybebreed said: “I thought this page was being handled by a responsible Woman but seriously I see it’s for her tribe interest. And we will respond to you as a tribal bigot.”

Another X user, @MrOzor1, said: “One useless fellow who happened to be pushed into the corridors of authority. You never disappoint. You always show the stuff you are made of, a concatenation of vicious and virulent characters hidden behind makeups.”

Before now, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa had been criticised for saying that, in Indonesia, 20 out of 21 Nigerians on death row were from one state in the South-East.