For some days now, top Yoruba actor, Babatunde Omidina, who is well
known as Baba Suwe has 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 had made it messier.
Before now, there had
been insinuations around 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 the time past.
In some
quarters, there were the believe that some top Nollywood heavyweights
were trying to cover up for Baba Suwe by making sure he was not expose,
and also making a compromise on the issue with some powers that be in
high places.
Those insinuating this believe have it that
confirming Baba Suwe with the suspected substance would dent the image
of the industry, especially for those who enjoy the goodwill of being a
celebrity to by-pass the stringent airport searches. This was what they
are trying to avoid.
But in a reaction to this insinuation, top
Nollywood actress, Rachael Oniga has come out to debunk such believe.
According to her, “the point I must tell you is that the serious and
professionals among the actors don’t 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 had 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 narcotic drug out of the
country when he was arrested some days 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.”........
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