Nigerian socialite and music promoter Samson Erinfolami Balogun, known widely as Sam Larry, has made his first public appearance since the road accident that killed his bouncer, Wale, on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
A video showing him standing unaided among friends surfaced online on Friday night, a week after the crash, and it has drawn both relief and criticism from Nigerians on social media.
The accident took place on Saturday, July 4, when the vehicle conveying Sam Larry reportedly collided with a trailer. Wale, who worked as his bouncer, died at the scene. Sam Larry was rushed to hospital, and in the days that followed, unverified reports claimed he had suffered severe spinal injuries, with some social media users alleging his legs might be amputated.
In the new video, Sam Larry appears upright and in good spirits, surrounded by friends who can be heard singing and referencing critics who had wished him harm after news of the crash spread. He did not address the injury rumours directly, but his appearance has led many observers to conclude that he is recovering.
The clip has since split opinion online. Some Nigerians criticised the tone of the celebration, arguing it overlooked Wale’s death. X user Lil Wonder, who posts as @WonderOfNigeria, said there had been no quiet reflection from Sam Larry’s friends out of respect for the bouncer, and argued that his recovery was being treated as more important than his employee’s death. In a separate post, the same user claimed his associates had visited the bouncer’s grieving family for a video before filming Sam Larry mocking those who had speculated about his legs.
Other users defended the celebration as a natural response to relief. X user @Kestustebe asked why friends should not be happy to see him alive after a week of uncertainty, and pointed out that many of the same critics had earlier wished him dead.
A third strand of reaction focused simply on confirming his condition. Another user, Fidelis Adaeze, said the episode was a reminder that people should wait for verified information before reacting to rumours.
Sam Larry’s name has featured on social media space overtime, having been linked to the death of singer Mohbad in 2023, a connection several users referenced again in reacting to the crash.
As of this report time, Sam Larry has not issued a public statement addressing the rumours about his health or responding directly to the criticism of his friends’ video.
