The problem of drug trafficking in the entertainment industry has become a worrisome subject for lovers of entertainment.
As a celebrity or a renowned personality in society, one is supposed to be steadfast in whatever they do. So when the issue of drug trafficking arises, it puts a question mark on every affected personality.
There have been a lot of cases on drug trafficking in the entertainment industry. While some are already convicted and serving their sentences, others are considered a rumor case with no base whatsoever. The most resent however is the case of Baba Suwe which is in every ramification dramatic and which seems very far from coming to an end.
Recently while in Abuja for the premier of the movie Breeze, Yemi Sholade was asked to comment on the drug trafficking issue rocking the entertainment industry of today and his response with a smile on his face was:
‘I don’t have a take on the issue because I do not do drugs. The only drug I know is panadol’.
‘Why is it that anything drug trafficking is attributed to the Yoruba movie industry? What are they looking for? They already have the money; it is just greed and quest to amass wealth just like some politicians,’ stated Tunde Aremu, an actor based in Abuja.
Also people in the know have continued to comment on the issue including popular comic actor Ayodele who was also in Abuja for the movie premiere of Breeze; he emphasised that the only reason could be greed.
‘Carrying drugs is not a way to sell ourselves in the industry. Most of us have good reputation. We are never in support of anything drugs. We should know that as role models, we should not only protect our individual interest but our profession. We should be well and upright and everything will go well for us”.
Temmy
Temmy was jailed in Dubai in 2009 for drug trafficking.
Though, she initially bagged 21-year jail term, her condition as a pregnant woman then, was said to have made them reduce it to 10 years. It will be recalled that when she was arrested in 2009, apart from doing drugs, she was also found wanting in cases relating to stealing and forgery in Dubai major markets and had been warned severally never to return to that land of gold and opportunity but as fate has designed it for her, she was caught again using forged names and documents to enter Dubai while she was trafficking drugs.
Left with no choice of curbing her excesses, the authorities gave her two options, to have her left arm amputated or face 21 years imprisonment. She later fell for the latter and today she has become a mother inside the prison yard with no hope of getting amnesty.
Wunmi Yetunde, Arrested For Drug Trafficking
There was a case of popular Yoruba movie actress, Hassanat Akinwande Taiwo, popularly known as Yetunde Wunmi, who was arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for cocaine trafficking.
As was reported by P.M. News, she was arrested on a Saturday night on her way to London. Investigations revealed that she was about to board a Virgin Atlantic plane at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja, Lagos, when eagle-eyed NDLEA officials caught her.
She was said to have been injected to excrete the cocaine she swallowed. As at the time of the report, the actress excreted 92 wraps of cocaine (condom-sized) and was still excreting more. A top NDLEA official described her action as unprecedented. “Can you believe it, she has excreted 92 wraps of cocaine and she is yet to finish. This is unprecedented. This will tell you the quantity of the drug she swallowed,” he revealed.
A source close to the actress disclosed that she was planning to embark on holy pilgrimage to Mecca later in the year.
“I am sure that this lady was pushed into this by the devil. She is not the kind of person that would do a thing like this. She was planning to go to Mecca this year. The plan was that after her return, she would go to perform the pilgrimage.”
Confirming her arrest, the Public Relations Officer of NDLEA, Jonah Achema, described Wunmi’s action as shameful.
MO’Hits Drug Trafficking Rumour
The report that took everyone by storm was that Dapo Oyebanji, also known as D’banj was arrested in New York for smuggling substance suspected to be Cocaine. The C.E.O of Mo’Hits Records, Don Jazzy debunked the rumour according to twitted messages posted by Don Jazzy’s wall and Nigeria news.com
According to source, since the story of D’banj’s arrest hit town, he has not been happy at all.
Following rumours of the arrest, the G.O.O.D Music/label boss reacted to the news saying he ‘hopes people are not shallow enough to believe’.
Rumours about the arrest surfaced on micro-blogging site Twitter but Don Jazzy was quick to respond to the news in the most humorous of ways.
He Twitted:?
‘Dem catch us with Alomo abi?” a sarcastic response to a tweet asking ‘Wats wit dis rumours abt dbanj N donjazzy being in d custody of F.B.I 4 drug trafficking?’
‘If dbanj was caught with drugs in yankee that one mean say for a trip from Ghana to Lagos u need to transit in NY abi? osheee lol’ and ‘laff about it sometimes and hope some people re not shallow enough to actually believe’, Don Jazzy tweeted.
Apparently, D’banj was returning to Lagos from Ghana while Don Jazzy had just returned from Korea. But both acts were in Lagos when the rumours hit the cyber space.
A statement from the Mo’Hits media company, Media Image Managers, dispelling the rumours was subsequently released. It read:
“D’banj and Don Jazzy are in Lagos. They are no where near New York. The two respected artistes are proud Nigerians doing the country proud worldwide. They do not need to peddle drugs as they are successful young men who worked hard to get to where they are today. The report making the rounds that they were arrested in America on Sunday is false and an attempt to tarnish the image of these Nigerian artistes. It is a figment of someone’s evil imagination. D’banj’s media company, Media Image Managers is not losing sleep about this malicious campaign, but records must be set straight. D’banj and Don Jazzy are at their Lekki home in Lagos, Nigeria, they are well and okay. They have had no brush with the law for any reason, not even for a traffic offence.
Baba Suwe’s Alleged Drug Case
Some weeks ago top Yoruba actor, Babatunde Omidina, who is also known as Baba Suwe had been in the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for an alleged drug ingestion offence.
Though the development has been very messy, especially in the first seven days the veteran comic actor had been with the drug enforcement agency, but the new turn of event has made it messier.
Before now, there had been insinuations that some big wigs in the society who might be linked with the drug offence were fighting hard to die down the case just as it has been allegedly done in times past.
In some quarters, there is the belief that some top Nollywood heavyweights we are trying to cover up for Baba Suwe by making sure he was not exposed.
But in a reaction to this insinuation, as posted by nigeriafilm.com last week, top Nollywood actress, Rachael Oniga has come out to debunk such beliefs. According to her, they are serious professionals and they have never contemplated doing drugs.
“The point I must tell you is that the serious and professionals among the actors do not do drugs or get involved in drugs.
So, there is no reason for any cover up by some of us to sweep the case under carpet. To my own knowledge, there is nothing of such.”
Those in the know have alleged that some big wigs in the make-believe industry are seriously fighting hard not to expose Baba Suwe of an alleged attempt to traffic substances suspected to be narcotics drug out of the country when he was arrested a couple of weeks ago by the NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport.
This insinuation was further buttressed in a press release by the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP) on Thursday October 20, when the former president of the body, Prince Jide Kosoko said:
“The unethical proceedings (of NDLEA) have not only brought untold humiliation, bad press and unprecedented public outcry against Baba Suwe; it has equally brought our industry and all theatre practitioners into public odium.
Everybody in the industry is now seen as a potential drug pusher. This is a tag we reject in its totality. We do not dispute the fact that there are bound to be a few bad ones in a large professional grouping but we make bold to say that we are not drug pushers but hardworking professionals who have worked hard to earn decent living and the good name we presently enjoy.”
A Lagos High Court, in Ikeja, ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to produce Nollywood actor, Baba Suwe, in court to allay the fears of his family members over his state of health.
Omidina sued the NDLEA, demanding N100m from the agency for allegedly violating his fundamental human rights.
He contended that the anti-drug body violated his rights by keeping him in its custody for more than the constitutionally-allowed 24 hours since October 12.
Justice Yetunde Idowu ordered the NDLEA to produce Omidina “physically in court” following an application by his counsel, Mr. Bamidele Aturu.
Idowu said the actor’s physical presence in court would allay the apprehension of both his family and the public over his state of health and his safety in the NDLEA custody.
The NDLEA, represented by its director, prosecution and legal services, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba, acceded to the prayer seeking that Baba Suwe be produced in court at the next adjourned date. Oloruntoba however, raised concern about the security challenges likely to be introduced by the crowd which Baba Suwe’s presence in court might attract.
But Idowu, dismissed any fear concerning security, saying, “we have to consider the mind of the family.”
She assured that measures would be put in place to ensure security by keeping such a crowd away from the court premises.
A Lagos, high court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday 1, November ordered the release of Nollywood comic actor. The court gave Friday (Yesterday) for NDLEA to Obey its order if Baba Suwe does not excrete the alleged drug he is believed to? have conceated in is stomach.
?