Who Is Motara?

Motara is a Nigeria social media influencer who in 2020 incurred the wrath of social media users after her video went viral for teasing a beggar in traffic.

In the widely condemned video, Motara could be seen holding a bottle of drink while asking the little girl if she cared for it.

But instead of giving the child beggar the drink, Motara had the side window of her car shut. She then placed the bottle close to the child beggar’s mouth while the young girl ran after her vehicle in the traffic.

Although Motara deleted the video, it had already gone viral on social media earning her criticisms from many internet users who found the video shocking and disappointing. The reactions came in folds as Motara – only a few hours past – had shared the story of how her mom hawked to take care of them after her father abandoned them.

As a result of the video, Motara was later relieved of a PR job she had with one Brothers Keeper, a non-governmental organization (NGO).

However, after the intense backlash, Motara apologized for her actions. In a remorseful interview with the BBC, Motara said “The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is to apologise and attempt to redeem myself. If I see the girl now, I will kneel down and beg her. From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean it the way people took it.”

Motara who grew up in Ibadan, South West of Nigeria turned 25 years in 2020 and she is currently a student of Microbiology at a Polytechnic in Ibadan.