The gist
In celebration of her 35th birthday, Jackie Aina, a well-known Nigerian American influencer and YouTuber, released a collection of candles, which is causing some controversy on Twitter.
The candles come in four fragrances, Sòrò Sókè, No Wahala, Soft Life and Spice of Life. Many people are reacting negatively to Sòrò Sókè candles.
This is because Sòrò Sókè is reminiscent of a dark time in the country’s history. During the End Sars protest, the youths protested in the major cities and towns against police brutality and they had the slogan 'Sòrò Sókè', which means to speak louder or speak up.
Many youths were arrested and some may still be in police custody.
Plus, the Lekki massacre at the Lekki toll gate, as well as, other deaths have made the End Sars protest a traumatizing memory for many youths.
Many people believe that her naming the candles Sòrò Sókè means that she is trivialising the lives that were lost. Here are some tweets.
It is an oversight on Jackie’s part who neglected the context of the phrase and failed to consider what it means to the Nigerian youth.