Comic actor, Baba Suwe in a new interview
with Tribune, has maintained his innocence and is still demanding for an
apology from the NDLEA (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency), to help salvage
his reputation.
with Tribune, has maintained his innocence and is still demanding for an
apology from the NDLEA (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency), to help salvage
his reputation.
Clearing the air on the allegation,
he narrated his side of the story thus:
he narrated his side of the story thus:
“It is a long story. What they did
tarnished my image. It really hurt me. Theatre is the only way I make money and
when my films hit Idumota, it makes the most sales in the industry. I make
money from my rental business and as a master of ceremony within and outside
Nigeria. The incident affected all that.
The trip I wanted to make when the incident happened was for a friend’s
baby’s naming ceremony. I was asked to be the MC at the christening ceremony. I
just got back from London about a month before then, from a movie production
with Sanyeri. I was at the airport that day with my sibling and a friend.
My friend even had with him, dundu (fried yam) and akara (bean
cakes) which we ate at the airport. That was around 8.30 p.m.
tarnished my image. It really hurt me. Theatre is the only way I make money and
when my films hit Idumota, it makes the most sales in the industry. I make
money from my rental business and as a master of ceremony within and outside
Nigeria. The incident affected all that.
The trip I wanted to make when the incident happened was for a friend’s
baby’s naming ceremony. I was asked to be the MC at the christening ceremony. I
just got back from London about a month before then, from a movie production
with Sanyeri. I was at the airport that day with my sibling and a friend.
My friend even had with him, dundu (fried yam) and akara (bean
cakes) which we ate at the airport. That was around 8.30 p.m.
I had got a camera from someone around 10.30 p.m. and was about to board when
the incident began to unfold. I had walked past NDLEA officials when a lady
among them called me, ‘Baba Suwe, go and see the person standing there.’ I went
to see the person she pointed at and was surprised when the person took me
directly to their scanning machine. I was even more surprised when he told me I
was positive. He said I was a drug pusher and I told him I was not. It all
seemed like a setup to me. Before I realised what was going on, I was taken
upstairs, to their boss’s office and the boss started throwing accusations at
me. ‘Baba Suwe, you are a drug pusher. You deal in cocaine,’ he said and I
immediately refuted the accusation.
As if that was not strange enough, he ordered one of his
boys to give me 24 lashes of the cane. I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked what
that was for and the guy he ordered to cane me just looked at me, smiled and
left.
boys to give me 24 lashes of the cane. I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked what
that was for and the guy he ordered to cane me just looked at me, smiled and
left.
It was when he came back that I realized that the situation was serious. They
sat me down for a thorough interrogation which lasted till the next day. In the
morning, I pleaded with them to, at least, release the man who was arrested
with me because he had to be at his child’s christening. They eventually
released him that morning and then transferred me to their hospital where they
flushed my system but did not find any drug in me.
At this point, their boss even pitied me. He told me he heard they did not find
any drug in me and I answered in the affirmative. They took me back to the
airport and I thought they were going to release me, but I was again taken to
the general hospital, where they conducted series of tests on me but still
couldn’t find anything. The only thing they did not do was to open me up and I
would have been happier if they had done that because I am sure they still
would not find any drug in me. At least, by then, it would be clear that there
was nothing in me.
He further revealed how he was maltreated
by the NDLEA officials
by the NDLEA officials
“They
maltreated me for the 19 days that I was there. I slept on metal chairs. I was
taken to another hospital again and yet, nothing was found. At this stage, my
son had got a lawyer for me. The lawyer, in confidence, asked me if I was
dealing in drug for real so as to know how to run their case and I told him
that I was doing no such thing. I told him I had travelled to many developed
countries with sophisticated and automated airports and I had never had any
case with them.
maltreated me for the 19 days that I was there. I slept on metal chairs. I was
taken to another hospital again and yet, nothing was found. At this stage, my
son had got a lawyer for me. The lawyer, in confidence, asked me if I was
dealing in drug for real so as to know how to run their case and I told him
that I was doing no such thing. I told him I had travelled to many developed
countries with sophisticated and automated airports and I had never had any
case with them.
I was eventually charged to court and it was then that it came to light that they
had gone to court behind my back even when I was in detention and had gotten
judgment. I had no idea. It was the judge in this (new) court that blew things
open and told them that he was giving them three days and if they did not find
any drugs in my system, I would be discharged.
I was taken to another hospital in Victoria Island the next day where tests
were conducted on me again and nothing was found in me. They scanned and
flushed me and they almost killed me this time around, but still, nothing was
found.
We appeared in court the third day and the judge, having heard what happened,
asked the NDLEA the result they got from the hospital, but there was nothing to
show. The judge then asked me if I could identify the NDLEA official who took
me to the hospital and I did. The official I identified, in his own defence,
said it was an order from his superiors. Eventually, the judge ruled in my
favour and charged NDLEA with defamation of character and ordered them to pay
me N25 million as compensation and make a public apology in two national
dailies to clear my name. But they are yet to do any of those things.”
What is the situation on
the case now?
the case now?
That case is on as we speak. We
don’t know how it will end. I am yet to get any compensation from NDLEA and they
did not even apologise. Even if they did not pay me a dime but only apologised
in the newspapers, I would be satisfied. I hate being implicated and that was
exactly was happened.
I actually excreted more than 25 times the first day and nothing was found in
my faeces. All the faeces were kept for record purpose.I believe that someone
was behind it all. I don’t know who or why he did it. It could be jealousy, but
there is no smoke without fire.
don’t know how it will end. I am yet to get any compensation from NDLEA and they
did not even apologise. Even if they did not pay me a dime but only apologised
in the newspapers, I would be satisfied. I hate being implicated and that was
exactly was happened.
I actually excreted more than 25 times the first day and nothing was found in
my faeces. All the faeces were kept for record purpose.I believe that someone
was behind it all. I don’t know who or why he did it. It could be jealousy, but
there is no smoke without fire.
Many believe that you used charm to
hide the drug…
hide the drug…
I did not use any charm. If there
was a charm for drug dealing, I believe the herbalists would be the ones doing
drug business themselves. It is said that nobody could have cocaine in their
system for more than two days and survive it. I was in detention for 19 days. I
love being in company when travelling, so, would I be dealing in drugs and be
travelling with people, different people for that matter? I did not use charm.
I am not a cocaine pusher, so, I need no charm to cover anything up. God has
blessed me in the movie industry and all the wealth and fame I got was from
making movies.
was a charm for drug dealing, I believe the herbalists would be the ones doing
drug business themselves. It is said that nobody could have cocaine in their
system for more than two days and survive it. I was in detention for 19 days. I
love being in company when travelling, so, would I be dealing in drugs and be
travelling with people, different people for that matter? I did not use charm.
I am not a cocaine pusher, so, I need no charm to cover anything up. God has
blessed me in the movie industry and all the wealth and fame I got was from
making movies.