Nigerian rapper, Michael Stephens popularly called Ruggedman has reacted to a statement of apology written by his estranged friend, Abolore Adegbola Adigun, also known as 9ice saying Ruggedman never cheated on his ex wife Toni Payne as widely believed. The entrepreneur accepted his apology and added that it was quite belated.

He wrote:

“In 2010 9ice released a song that made a lot of people wrongfully drag me into a terrible situation. People misconstrued the song and it created a rumor. A terrible false rumor that was fueled by journalists and bloggers who were only after hits on their sites and did not care to investigate and confirm the rumor but chose to print and post it anyways not caring who got hurt in the process. I remember pleading my innocence and that of Toni Payne but social media people being who and how they are chose not to listen.


I remember calling 9ice on the phone CIA style to talk to him about it and he was clearly heard admitting the song was not about myself or Toni Payne, but social media people being who and how they are, chose not to listen. I remember asking 9ice to publicly clear the air on the terrible rumor but was shocked when my friend said he would not because he was busy and didn’t have time for such. Again nobody wondered why.


Fast forward 2016, six years later and I was surprised when I heard that 9ice has finally come out to say I never slept with his wife and the song was not about me and even apologized. You left it a bit too late, you had your chance to clear this matter 6 years ago when it really mattered but you didn’t, I do not know why or what made you keep quite all that while. Any way I accept your apology and thank God we are all alive.’’