By Olawale Olaleye
Some weeks ago, an older friend and brother asked if I had any link to our famed Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade (KSA)? A prominent Nigerian from Osun State was planning his 90th and wanted KSA as the main act.
KSA and the old man had known each other over the years and had always related until lately when KSA became unreachable. So, efforts were being made to see who else could reach him, hence my brother-friend approached me.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have his contact information at the time, but I jokingly told him, “There’s no one we can’t reach in Nigeria of today. Just give me some time. I’ll figure it out.”
So, I made it my personal assignment and started asking around. Curiously, everyone who could reach KSA at a dial could not anymore, and at that point, I gave up and continued with my life of hustling.
Then, boom, a young friend reached out to me on Instagram, asking if I could help give a friend of his a voice? Incidentally, she’s one of the children of KSA: Damilola Esther Adeniyi-Adegeye.
Damilola, he said, claimed their father had been unreachable for a while and it appeared his manager, one Dayo, who is also his half-brother and his other siblings had abducted KSA in the name of managing him.
She alleged that they had been making her father sign up for many gigs but failing to perform, thereby creating a different image for KSA as “somewhat irresponsible”. In addition, they were the only one managing the funds at the expense of his biological children.
What further created serious worry for Damilola, according to her, was that the last time she spoke to KSA, he sounded distressed, and the phone was quickly taken away from him. Ever since, he has not been reachable.
Although Damilola had since embarked on a personal rigorous campaign for her father, it seemed like her voice had been drowned by the fact that no one reckoned with her.
If you visit her page on IG @adeniyidamilola, you’d see the many campaigns she had undertaken, including the ones she tagged the Nigerian police for help. She also listed the names of those responsible for this alleged “wickedness” against the globally renowned KSA with their pictures.
Now, without running to town with one-sided story, it is important to give the accused persons a benefit of the doubts, first by making KSA appear publicly to mark himself safe, healthy and fine.
Two, they also owe the public the reason they have kept KSA away from his family and the public, including why they’ve been encouraging him to sign up for performances he did not show up for.
The discerning public must take this seriously and the Nigerian police should please, intervene. KSA is not a local act and definitely not an unknown quantity. He is not one to be treated just anyhow. He may truly need help.
