Real Warri Pikin Breaks Silence After Viral Timaya Moment at AFRIMMA Awards

Award-winning Nigerian comedian Real Warri Pikin has appealed to Nigerians to ease up on their criticism after a viral moment involving singer Timaya at the 2026 AFRIMMA Awards in Dallas, United States.

Real Warri Pikin, who won the Best Stand-Up Comedian award at the ceremony, addressed the controversy in a video after footage of Timaya lifting her during his stage performance sparked reactions online.

The comedian explained that Timaya had invited a woman from the audience to join him on stage during his performance. She said she was initially hesitant because she did not want to jump around on stage but eventually agreed after the singer assured her that she would be fine.

However, Real Warri Pikin said the situation became awkward when Timaya unexpectedly lifted her in front of the audience. While those at the event appeared to enjoy the moment, she noted that the incident was interpreted differently on social media.

“Make una take am easy, I beg. I’m sorry. I take full responsibility of my actions,” she said.

The comedian acknowledged that some Nigerians were genuinely concerned about what they saw but urged people not to draw conclusions about her personality or values from a brief stage performance.

“I understand where una dey come from. Maybe some people are just genuinely concerned,” she said.

Real Warri Pikin also clarified that she had no intention of disrespecting her husband or behaving inappropriately, describing the incident as an unexpected and awkward moment that occurred during an entertainment performance.

She appealed to Nigerians to be less harsh in their judgment, stressing that the viral clip did not tell the full story of what happened on stage.

The controversy has continued to generate discussion online, with reactions largely centred on boundaries, public appearances and how entertainers’ actions are interpreted on social media.