Tuesday, 19th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Former Manager Resurrects Drug Allegations Against D’banj

By Michael Bamidele
15 November 2019   |   12:31 pm
When "Tongolo" hit the airwaves in 2005, it was clear that a new music era had dawned in Nigeria. And championing the new course was Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo, professionally known as D'banj. Following the critical acclaim of his first album "No Long Thing", D'banj's career grew at an exponential rate. The climax was when he…

Former Manager Resurrects Drug Allegations Against D’banj. Photo: FreshTuneMix

When “Tongolo” hit the airwaves in 2005, it was clear that a new music era had dawned in Nigeria. And championing the new course was Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo, professionally known as D’banj.

Following the critical acclaim of his first album “No Long Thing”, D’banj’s career grew at an exponential rate. The climax was when he met with American rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West in 2011.

Enter Bankulli. D’banj enlisted Bankulli as his manager after breaking ties with his former manager, Sunday Are. It was during his time with Bankulli that the pair met with West at the Dubai airport – a meeting that would later alter their career path.

The artist-manager affair between Dbanj and Bankulli ended in 2013 amid varying reports of a rift.

The Unearthing 

Six years later, in a recent interview with the media outlet Pulse, Bankulli narrated how he orchestrated the meeting between D’banj and Kanye West. 

Apparently, Bankulli’s narration of the event didn’t go down well with Dbanj, who commented on the post:

“This dude 😂! You and I know the truth – maybe it’s time to start telling it.”

Bankulli later replied the Koko Master’s comment:

“hmmmm … I was thinking what truth are you looking for at this stage of your life …keep your energy for your career and love ones as you shall find the truth and the truth shall set you free. Be safe son.”

Screenshot of Bankulli’s drug allegation against D’banj. Photo: Legit NG

Unsatisfied, Bankulli took to his page for a full-on attack on D’banj in a now-deleted post. This time he resurrected the drug rumours.

“Doing Drugs will not help you but worsen your case ( I heard about White powder ) a shining prospect and you use your bad character to bloat all Away.

“Hmmm… It is never too late to go and seek truthfully the forgiveness and truth you seek …look inward change your lifestyle stop lying to yourself that all is well but go back to the source so that all can be well with you .

“You have done so much evil to many people that we both know and today I speak for them all . Cc @iambangalee ( Dbanj Aka The Kokomaster alias kokomycine… *Drops mic*”

What drug?

Bankuli’s drug allegation against Koko Master is nothing new. 

In 2011, just three months after D’banj was signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music record label, a report starting making the rounds on social media that Dbanj and Don Jazzy were arrested in the New York on Sunday, September 25, 2011, for drug trafficking.

Don jazzy later took to his Twitter page to dispell the rumours in a series of sarcastic tweets:

“If dbanj was caught with drugs in yankee that one mean say for a trip from Ghana to lagos u need to transit in NY abi? osheee lol

He also added: “laff about it sometimes and hope some people re not shallow enough to actually believe”

Mo’Hits media company, Media Image Managers, later addressed the rumours in a statement:

“D’banj and Don Jazzy are in Lagos. They are nowhere near New York. The two respected artistes are proud Nigerians doing the country proud worldwide. They do not need to peddle drugs as they are successful young men who worked hard to get to where they are today. 

The report making the rounds that they were arrested in America on Sunday is false and an attempt to tarnish the image of these proudly Nigerian artistes. It’s a figment of someone’s evil imagination. 

D’banj’s media company, Media Image Managers are not losing sleep about this malicious campaign, but records must be set straight. D’banj and Don Jazzy are at their Lekki home in Lagos, Nigeria, they are well and okay. They have had no brush with the law for any reason, not even for a traffic offence.”

0 Comments