Babatunde Omidina

Entertainment

"They gave me 24 lashes of the cane". Baba Suwe revisits NDLEA saga


To those who have been itching to know how actor, Babatunde “Babasuwe” Omidina was apprehended by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the comedian in an interview with Tribune narrated the incident.


“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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.”
 

Credit: Tribune

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Entertainment

5 years after Moladun's death, Babasuwe finds love again.

Actor, Babatunde Omidina, better known as Babasuwe has been through a lot in the past few years; from the death of his wife, Omoladun, his NDLEA saga and many more but the good news from his quarters is that the dark-skinned comedian has found love again.
Below are excerpts from his recent interview with PUNCH.

Tell us your background?
I am a special specie created by God. I hail from Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos State but born and bred on the Island. My father was an average Nigerian who was into trading of eye-glasses and my mother was a trader . I am the only child between my parents. My father had three wives. I dropped out of secondary school when I was in form four. Growing up for me was tough but fun. I enjoyed every bit of it because I was quite mischievous. As a teenage, I didn’t really know the importance of education but thank God, I am managing well. I am also a different person from what you see on the screen, a quiet and easy-going person.
How have you been coping without a wife?
It has not been easy but life must go on. I believe whatever happens has been pre-ordained. The death of Omoladun was a great loss I cannot get over in this lifetime. She will remain my best companion. She understood me than any other person on planet earth. At times when we quarrel in the house, she would abuse me on set and that would mark the end of the issue.
Any plan of remarrying?
Yes. In fact pretty soon.

Who is the lucky bride?
You can’t know her for now. She is not an actress because I can’t marry an actress again.
Are you insinuating Omoladun was not a good wife?
No, I don’t mean anything of such. What I mean is that I cannot get someone like Omoladun among the actresses again. Her good acting skills is one of the reasons I loved her but I have decided to check else where for love.
After the death of Omoladun, your step daughter accused you of killing her mother?
That is mere rumour. She later came out to say she never said that. We were all staying in the same building. Omoladun was hypertensive for a long time and I did my best as a husband, a friend, and colleague to take adequate care of her. At a time she spent months at a hospital. The day the bad incident happened, I was about praying when I told my child to go wake Omoladun because we had an appointment. It was this child who ran out to call me and with the help of neighbors, we rushed her to the hospital. The doctor confirmed her death on arrival.

Has her death affected your career?
Not really. There are many people who can take her role but I miss her so much. After her death, I produced “Baba Jaiye” part two and it was a huge success.
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Entertainment

Baba Suwe's NDLEA case lawyer, Bamidele Aturu dies

Bamidele Aturu, Human rights lawyer and Defence Counsel for Yoruba actor, Babatunde Omidina popularly called Baba Suwe during his drug trafficking case in 2011 has passed on. He died in a Lagos hospital on Wednesday, July 9, 2014, after a brief illness. The OAU graduate was aged 49.
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Entertainment

"Drug trafficking allegation has ruined my career and relationship with people"- Babasuwe

Popular Yoruba comic actor, Babatunde Omidina, widely known as Babasuwe is not happy at the moment and the reason is not far-fetched. The comedian’s drug trafficking allegation levelled against him by members of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) 3 years ago has not only affected his career adversely but also caused a strain in his relationship with close friends, helpers and dignitaries.
In an interview with Encomium Magazine, Babasuwe disclosed that despite his acquittal in the case, nobody still wants to associate with him like before, producers have even stopped inviting him to movie locations.
“I have not collected any compensation money from NDLEA yet. The most painful thing is that I was wrongly accused. Had it been, I actually committed the crime, I won’t mind, but they just punished me for nothing. I was in NDLEA custody for almost three weeks, and nothing was found on me. No matter the kind of juju one may have, I don’t think there is anybody that can conceal cocaine for even two days. Even researches had shown that no one can habour the substance in the body for two days. It will burst inside the person’s stomach, which can lead to death. And I believe after all their investigations, they should have released me so I could continue with my career. But the whole situation, the way they treated me actually rubbished my image. My career has been dwindling.
A lot of people that are supposed to be inviting me to take part in their movies abandoned me because of the incident. Even a lot of people that could have assisted me financially don’t want to associate with me again. People within and outside the industry have deserted me on account of the allegation. They still doubt me despite my victory in court. I have sung praises of some people in some of my movies, and I always appreciate whatever they give me.
This makes a lot of people close to me. For instance, I was close to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu before and he was very nice to me. He had done a lot for me but now, it’s very difficult for me to be close to him. He is even not comfortable seeing me around him again because of the allegation. I don’t enjoy people’s love and admiration like before because people still believe that it was true”. He revealed.
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Entertainment

COURT ORDERS NDLEA TO COMPENSATE BABASUWE WITH N25M

After his release on November 4, 2011, it would be recalled that Babatunde Omidina, also known as Babasuwe addressed his detention case in a press conference held on November 14 and his counsel, Bamidele Aturu, avowed to fight the abuse of his client's fundamental rights by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Babasuwe sought redress in the Lagos High court today.
For keeping him in custody for more than 48 hours which is against the constitution and for failing to bring out a proof, Justice Yetunde Idowu, has asked the NDLEA to pay him N25million for compensation and also to apologise to him in two national newspapers, all within 21 days.

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Entertainment

BABASUWE&NDLEA: A FIGHT TO FINISH

The maxism, "It isn't over, until it is over" best describes the case between actor cum comedian, Babatunde Omidina popularly called Babasuwe and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. In a recent press conference, on November 14 to be precise, Bamidele Aturu, Counsel to Babasuwe avowed to fight the abuse of his client's fundamental rights by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
During the interactive session, Babe Suwe affirmed that he had never been arrested for carrying drugs in Nigeria or outside Nigeria, "when I travel, I don't stay more than two weeks, which you can see on my passport." He added. He also revealed that he excreted 25 times while in custody.
Aturu who questioned NDLEA's integrity and their obsolete scanning machines also enjoined the Federal Government to check their activities.
He pointed out that "The October 28, 2011 report contradicted the earlier one, which said that his stomach showed no foreign body seen within it. This is not a Baba Suwe's fight, but a fight to bring the narcotic agency to questioning on how they carry out their scanning.
It is a fight against the abuse of the peoples' fundamental rights. In other countries, where people respect the law and have proper perspective of what they do, nobody would allow people to be detained, humiliated and refused access to even his lawyer until some days after going to court." He stated.

Source: Vanguard

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