Watching Asake return to OAU should’ve been one of those full-circle, proud moments. Former Dramatic Arts student comes back as a global star, lands in a helicopter, gets welcomed by the VC, performs for students — that’s the kind of story that reminds you dreams actually move.
But then that video happened.
A young guy ran close to the helicopter, probably chasing a moment, a picture, a story to tell. What followed — security chasing him, slapping and kicking him while he crawled away — sucked the joy out of the whole thing.
Yes, helicopters are dangerous. Safety around rotating blades is not a joke. That part is valid.
But brutality doesn’t automatically become discipline just because safety is involved.
What bothered me most is how normalised that response felt. Like everyone has already picked a side: “He deserved it” vs “That was inhumane.” Two things can be true at once — he shouldn’t have been there, and he didn’t deserve to be beaten like that.
It’s wild how a homecoming meant to inspire ended up sparking a bigger conversation about power, crowd control, and how easily violence shows up when someone thinks rules were broken.
I hope the lesson here isn’t just about staying away from helicopters but also about how we treat people when they mess up.
