Nollywood actor and prominent public figure Yul Edochie launched a blistering attack on veteran broadcaster Rufai Oseni, the well-known anchor of Arise Television’s flagship morning program.
The viral video, which surfaced and spread rapidly across platforms on March 4, 2026, captures Edochie in a rare display of visible anger, directly questioning Oseni’s integrity, professionalism, and moral standing to hold public figures accountable on national television.
At the heart of Edochie’s tirade is a pointed reference to a 2022 incident in Lagos, where Oseni was caught and arrested for driving on a restricted Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane—a traffic violation strictly enforced in the megacity.
Video footage from the time showed a heated confrontation: Oseni reportedly resisted the officials, invoking his status and threatening to contact the Lagos State governor. According to Edochie’s recounting in the clip, the broadcaster only issued an apology after the embarrassing video went viral online.
“Is this not the same Rufai Oseni who was caught driving on the BRT lane?” Edochie demanded rhetorically, “When officials caught you, instead of apologizing, you were shouting, ‘Do you know who I am? I’m going to call the governor of Lagos State.’ … If not because somebody had a video, you could not even apologize. If there were no video, what would have happened?”
The actor used this past episode to challenge what he sees as Oseni’s hypocrisy in grilling politicians and guests with tough, sometimes combative questioning during live interviews. Edochie accused the journalist of routinely making guests uncomfortable, disrespecting them, and crossing into outright insults—all under the guise of journalism.
“How can you invite somebody and make the guest uncomfortable?” he asked. “If a guest is not comfortable, the first thing you do is apologise and make the guest feel at ease. How can you tell a guest that if they’re not comfortable, they are free to walk out of the studio? You are insulting people on national TV. You’re a very disrespectful person. That is not journalism.”
Edochie’s criticism did not stop at Oseni’s on-air style. In a clear pivot to political defense, he extended his remarks to shield President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he referred to affectionately as “Jagaban.” The actor urged Nigerians—particularly vocal critics like Oseni—to show respect for the office and allow the administration more time to deliver results.
“Jagaban President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the President of Nigeria, whether you like it or not. He is our President, you must respect him,” Edochie declared emphatically. “The man just came in. Give him time. Rome was not built in a day.”
The outburst arrives against a backdrop of recurring tensions between Oseni and pro-government figures. Oseni has long been known for his aggressive, no-holds-barred interviewing approach—often clashing with ministers, party chieftains, and other officials in live segments that draw both praise for holding power to account and accusations of bias or rudeness. Recent exchanges, including heated moments with APC affiliates, appear to have fueled Edochie’s remarks.
Supporters of Edochie and the current administration hailed it as a much-needed call-out against perceived media arrogance, while others dismissed it as a deflection from governance issues or an attempt to shield allies. Some observers noted the irony of a celebrity with his own history of controversies lecturing a journalist on ethics and respect.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Yul Edochie said Rufai Oseni lacks the moral credibility to aggressively interrogate and disrespect public figures on national television when he himself once flagrantly broke traffic laws, resisted arrest, name-dropped the Lagos governor, and only apologized after a video went viral—proving his accountability depends on being caught on camera.
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