British journalist, Christopher Wilson, caused controversy with a now-deleted tweet comparing Nigeria’s human rights record to Nazi Germany’s, sparked by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to the country.
Wilson’s tweet, referencing historical events involving the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s visit to Nazi Germany in 1937, drew widespread condemnation. Despite his deletion of the post, the backlash persisted, with many questioning the validity of his comparison.
Wilson’s tweet mentioned Wallis Simpson’s tour of Germany with the Duke of Windsor in 1937 and insinuated a parallel between the and Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit to Nigeria.
He wrote in a post on X: “Desperate to show his wife they were still ‘royal’ in the eyes of the world, the Duke of Windsor took Wallis on a tour of Germany in 1937.
“They were greeted ecstatically. Nigeria’s human rights record is not far short of Nazi Germany’s.”
The couple, known for their charitable work, visited Nigeria to support Prince Harry’s Invictus Games initiative with Nigerian armed forces families. However, Wilson’s comparison to Nazi Germany’s atrocities drew swift criticism.
Responding to the backlash, Wilson cited a 2023 report from the United States Department of State highlighting human rights abuses in Nigeria. The report documented a range of issues, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests.
Critics, however, dismissed Wilson’s comparison as unfounded and offensive. Many took to social media platforms to express their outrage, condemning Wilson’s tweet as racially insensitive and ignorant of historical context.
Some commentators stressed the differences between the situations, noting Prince Harry and Meghan’s humanitarian efforts compared to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s controversial visit to Nazi Germany.
Journalist Rufai Oseni echoed these sentiments on Arise TV’s The Morning Show. He condemned Wilson’s tweet as racist and baseless.
Oseni stressed the positive impact of Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit to Nigeria, particularly their support for veterans through the Invictus Games initiative.
“These people are racist. This is the height of racism. He’s just so jealous because Harry and Megan came to Nigeria and they got relevance and it’s in your face it’s going to hurt you to the very end. I hope that this racism eats your bile up and it continues to eat you because we can’t continue this way. How would you relate them to what happened in Nazi Germany?
“The scenarios are different very different. These people came for a worthy cause in Nigeria which is the Invictus game, to be able to support veterans. Harry has built a brand with this Invictus game that goes around the world and has supported a lot of veterans and that’s something worth celebrating but because of the hatred and the bile that you have against this guy just let him be,” Oseni said.
