Ghana-based Nigerian comedian Parrot Mouth has revealed that he was arrested by officers of Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival in the country, with agents accusing him of being paid by Ghanaians to speak against Nigeria and tarnish the country's image online.

The comedian, who is known for his frequent comparisons between life in Ghana and Nigeria and often highlighting Ghana's advantages said dozens of armed security operatives swooped on him early in the morning after he had stepped out from where he was staying for a function.

"I had gone to Nigeria for a function and spent the night close by. Early in the morning I decided to step out and all of a sudden, dozens of armed security operatives rushed me and took me to their base," he said.

At their base, Parrot Mouth said the officers confronted him with the allegation that his content criticising Nigeria was financially motivated by Ghanaian interests.

"The guys who picked me up were like 'Ghanaians have paid me' and that I am in Ghana talking badly about Nigeria because I wanted to naturalise," he said.

The comedian dismissed the allegation entirely, insisting his criticism of Nigeria stems from love for his country and a desire to see it improve, not from any foreign agenda.

"I love my country, Nigeria. All I want is change. I want the government to act responsibly. I want to make my government say Nigeria is secured, Nigeria is fine. People should come to Nigeria. There will not be kidnapping, there will not be robberies, there is no insecurity. Is this too much to ask for?" he said.

During his detention, Parrot Mouth said he turned the tables on one of the officers, asking him a direct question that he felt spoke to the heart of the matter.

"I asked one of the officers, 'Sir, are you happy with Nigeria? Tell me the truth, sir. Let's remove everything. Are you happy?'" he recounted.

After his lawyer arrived and engaged with the officers, the DSS ran checks on him and found no criminal record, leading to his release.

"They said they want to check whether I have a criminal record. They checked everything. They didn't see one thing. And they said, okay, go," he said.

However, Parrot Mouth revealed the officers left him with a parting message — a veiled instruction to tone down his commentary about the country.

"They told me to calm down in my talks about the country. But what I see is what I talk about. I want the best for my country and Nigeria must work again," he said.

Watch the video below:

“I was arrested by officers of the DSS after arriving in Nigeria over claims that I had been paid by Ghanaians to keep praising Ghana and speaking against Nigeria. After checks through their system showed that I had no criminal record, I was released.”

— Ghana-based Nigerian… pic.twitter.com/RByRRTjl6u

— 𝐀𝐒𝐊 (@askghmedia) September 6, 2026