Ayuba denies being assaulted by MOPOL officers

Fuji maestro Adewale Ayuba has denied the reports saying he was assaulted by some members of the Mobile Police unit (MOPOL) last week in Ibadan.

Ayuba, who  was billed to perform at the final burial ceremony of Pa Olatubosun Mainde in Ibadan, arrived at the venue of the event later than expected.

There were unconfirmed reports claiming when Ayuba stepped into the venue, he was apprehended by the officers and assaulted until guests pleaded on his behalf.

But the ‘Bonsue Fuji’ star who is one of the directors on the board of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) the news of the alleged MOPOL assault came as a shock. According to him, nothing of such happened.

‘I was surprised to read in some newspapers and on some internet blog sites that I was beaten at an event in Ibadan. That is a lie. It will be unthinkable for anyone to order that an artiste be beaten just because he didn’t come for an event on time. Even though I have apologized to my clients over the issue, let me state my unreserved apology once again. The fault was not mine but there is no point over flogging the issues any longer’, Ayuba said.

He then went on to give his own account of what happened:

‘I was caught up in the traffic like so many other Nigerians on that fateful day. I left my house about 7 am in the morning for the event that was to start by 3pm on the same. By calculations, I should be in Ibadan by 9am, but alas! The road was blocked. Apparently a trailer had fallen and blocked the entire road, making it impossible for any car to pass. The relevant agencies obviously had no answers and Nigerians like me were held in that traffic for hours on end. At some point, I alighted from the car and had to take a motorcycle (Okada) just so that I meet up. Once again let me state categorically that I was not beaten by anyone, not by area boys or any police officer’.

Ayuba also debunked the rumour that he was performing at another show which made him late and thanked MC-comedian Gbenga Adeyinka for his open-handedness in controlling the ‘tensed situation’ before and after his event.