Tacha condemns online abuse, says it’s ‘worse than racism’
Reality TV star and beauty influencer Natasha Akide, popularly known as Tacha, has criticized what she described as discriminatory behaviour among Nigerians, saying it can be more severe than racism.
Reality TV star and beauty influencer Natasha Akide, popularly known as Tacha, has criticized what she described as discriminatory behaviour among Nigerians, saying it can be more severe than racism.
Her comments on Tuesday followed online backlash against chess advocate Tunde Onakoya after he shared a video of himself playing chess at the Louvre Museum plaza.
Tacha said that although she has experienced racism, the treatment Nigerians often direct at one another on social media is harsher.
She added that individuals in similar positions of influence could exhibit the same behaviour under comparable circumstances.
“When I see Nigerians talk about racism, I just laugh. Because we’re some of the most discriminatory and segregating people to ever exist.
“I’ve experienced racism, yes, but if you see what Nigerians do to fellow Nigerians every day on this app is worse. And to be honest, if we were in their position, we would probably do worse,” Tacha wrote.
The uproar began following a video Onakoya posted around April 19–20, 2026, showing him in a traditional agbada playing chess at the open plaza outside the Louver.
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He described the moment as a milestone and called himself the first Nigerian to play chess there, presenting it as a cultural achievement.
The post drew mixed reactions on X. Some users praised the act as cultural representation on a global stage.
Others questioned the claim, noting that the plaza is a public space accessible to anyone, that no official record confirms the “first” designation, and that the activity appeared informal rather than structured.
Tacha commended Onakoya’s response to the criticism. She said he had previously faced intense online attacks that led him to leave the platform temporarily, but added that he is now standing up for himself.
“To be honest, I love the way Tunde has handled this whole situation because clearly, this is not the first time they are coming at him.
“They came at this guy to the point where he had to leave this app, but not anymore. And it is good that he is standing for himself,” she said.
She also criticized social media users who, according to her, habitually troll.
Tacha said such individuals often react with bitterness when they see others succeeding and making a positive impact in the real world.
"There’s something most of y'all need to understand, you see most of these trolls & bullies on the app? Are just miserable ppl in real life. Asin, they have no real-world impact. They’ve not done anything impactful in the real world other than engagement farming and trolling people here. Their biggest achievement in life is probably just Twitter engagements.
"In the real world, they’ve done nothing meaningful. So when they see people succeeding and making a positive impact in the real world, they become bitter.
"So yes!! I love the way Tunde has stood his ground and the way he’s handled this whole situation".
