Kannywood actor and member of the Kannywood Triple-R Tinubu support group, Musa Mai Sana’a, has denied reports that he was attacked by youths in Katsina State.
Mai Sana’a, who is a member of the support group led by President Bola Tinubu’s political praise singer, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, said he completed his assignment in Katsina safely and returned home in good health.
The actor made the clarification in an interview with DCL Hausa following the circulation of a viral video showing him standing on the iconic “Welcome to Katsina City” archway.
Reports accompanying the video claimed that Mai Sana’a was confronted by angry youths and later rescued by the police. However, the actor dismissed the account as fabricated.
“Would someone just be beaten up like a thief? Ministers and governors who are in APC are not being beaten, why only Mai Sana’a? Am I the only one in APC? Or am I the only APC member who has committed an offence?” he asked.
Mai Sana’a confirmed that he climbed the archway but explained that his action was part of a security awareness campaign carried out under the directive of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
“I climbed it to deliver a message regarding security awareness under the NSA, Malam Nuhu Ribadu. I was creating public awareness so that if people see anything that could harm them, they shouldn’t stay silent, but report it to the authorities,” he said.
He explained that he spent between 30 and 40 minutes on the structure while recording the security awareness message.
The actor also reacted to the chants of “Ba ma yi” — meaning “We do not support this” — heard in the viral footage as youths gathered around the area.
According to him, the chants should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of an attack, arguing that criticism and opposition are normal in political environments.
“Even if you are booed, it is a sign of importance. It means people care enough about you to boo you. In politics, wherever you go, some will say they support, some will say they don’t. That is nothing new. But my message wasn’t about politics; it was strictly about security,” he said.
Mai Sana’a further claimed that those who welcomed and praised him were in the majority, adding that he carried out several activities across Katsina city before departing the state.
He also rejected suggestions that police officers seen around the scene had rescued him from an angry mob.
“That is their perception; I didn’t see it that way. I went safely and returned safely. You cannot stop anyone from fabricating stories,” he said.
According to him, the security personnel who escorted him to his vehicle were officers permanently stationed around the Katsina-Niger border entry point.
He said their presence was part of their routine responsibility to maintain peace whenever large crowds gathered and was not an emergency intervention to save him from an attack.
Mai Sana’a also said the All Progressives Congress held a gathering in Katsina before his departure, describing APC meetings as regular activities that could take place peacefully.
“Before I left Katsina, APC held its gathering. APC meetings happen continuously and conclude peacefully. I entered Katsina safely, completed my assignment, and returned home in good health. Nothing happened to me,” he concluded.
The controversy followed the emergence of videos showing Mai Sana’a arriving in Katsina with a security convoy as part of the security awareness campaign.
In the footage, the actor climbed the “Welcome to Katsina City” archway to record his message while a crowd gathered below.
Some youths could be heard chanting “Ba ma yi” before armed police officers moved in and the actor was escorted towards his vehicle.
While the footage generated claims that the actor had been attacked or rescued from an angry crowd, Mai Sana’a’s account presents a different version of events, insisting that he was neither assaulted nor rescued and that he completed his assignment without incident.
The incident has nevertheless drawn attention to the intersection of entertainment, political mobilisation and public security awareness campaigns, particularly as political support groups increasingly use popular entertainers and social media personalities to communicate with the public.
