A Nigerian mother has denied giving alcohol to her baby in a viral video drawing backlash.
She claims it was Coca-Cola in a cleaned sachet and says the clip was staged for content.
A Nigerian mother at the centre of a viral controversy has spoken out, addressing widespread public backlash after a video appeared to show her feeding alcohol to her five-month-old baby.
The video, which circulated online in recent days, drew outrage and condemnation across social media. In the footage, the woman is seen giving her infant what many believed to be ‘Action Bitters’, an alcoholic herbal drink, with a caption suggesting it was part of the baby’s nightly routine to help induce sleep.
Following public outcry, the Nigeria Police Force launched an investigation, as citizens demanded her immediate arrest over concerns of child endangerment and abuse.
However, in a new video posted online on Wednesday, the woman denied the allegations, insisting she did not give her child any form of alcohol. According to her, the sachet in the video did originally contain ‘Action Bitters’, but she had cleaned it out and filled it with Coca-Cola to stage the content.
“To be honest, it was Coke that I poured into the sachet. I even have a video on my phone showing when I was doing it,” she said, holding up her device as evidence.
The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, explained that she washed the sachet thoroughly before using it, and emphasized that it was never her intention to harm her child. She described the act as a misguided attempt to create humorous or viral content for social media engagement.
“My baby is just five months old. I would never feed her alcohol I’m not that kind of mother. I don’t even drink Action Bitters myself,” she stressed, adding that the video was misinterpreted.
She further expressed regret over her actions, admitting that she did not anticipate such an intense backlash. According to her, the post was meant to be a joke or skit, but it quickly spiraled out of control.
“To clear the air, it was never Action Bitters. I used Coke. I was just trying to create content,” she said. “Please, Nigerians, we are begging. Forgive us.”
Despite her explanation, the video continues to spark debate online, with some questioning the appropriateness of using an alcohol-branded sachet in any context involving a child.
As of now, authorities have not released a formal update on the status of their investigation.
