My issue with Wizkid...why I took the case to the police
I'm sure many of you have read that the police is now
involved in my issue with Wizkid. Yes, I reported his
public threat to me two Sundays ago to the Lagos State
Commissioner of Police and I want to explain why I did it!
Please pay attention and keep an open mind.
I've read a lot online from people saying I don't like
Wizkid. Even Wizkid himself thinks I don't like him. Why
he or anyone would think so is puzzling to me to be
honest. Apart from his achievements after he started
insulting me online a few weeks ago...everything else,
every success Wizkid has recorded in the last 3/4 years
is on LIB. All the awards, all the record breaking feats, his
sold out concerts, his foreign magazine features, and
collaborations, everything that has built him up to the
young man he is today is on LIB. Please verify! Search
my blog. Please continue...
I was a huge Wizkid fan. The only song I danced harder
to than his 'Dance For Me' track was Fuse ODG's
'Antenna and Kiss Daniel & DJ Shabzy's Raba. So, no, I
had no dislike for Wizkid. But about a year ago, I noticed
his indirect snide remarks at me...and when some other
music star beefed with me, Wizkid showed his support
and made disrespectful comments. That was when I
noticed he had issues with me... but that didn't stop me
from writing about him and celebrating him.
Now to the issue at hand. When I reported that he was
served quit notice at his Lekki home, I stated fact and I
didn't write it out of malice. It's not everyday you get
exclusive stories...and I'm sure any other blogger who
got the story first would also have published it. So, there
was no beef, I was just doing my job. A day or so after I
wrote this story, Wizkid went on my instagram page to
call me names and lied that I slept with some director of
his...which I have said before is 1000% lies! But the
insult and lies is not why the police is now involved.
Here's the thing; You can insult me, insult my family, call
me any names you like, even lie that I slept with your
forefathers...but don't threaten me. If you threaten me, I
will act!
I read people online saying that I reported to the police
because I am scared of Wizkid. No, my darlings, I am not
afraid of Wizkid. Though I do not take his threats lightly. I
went to the authorities for two reasons...and please
young boys of our generation, pay attention to what I am
about to write below.
You see, violence against women and threat of violence
against women is not okay. Threatening harm to
someone in a public space is a criminal act in every
country of the world, including Nigeria. I bet some of you
didn't know that, yeah? You can not publicly threaten
someone with harm. You will only get away with it if your
victim doesn't report to the authorities. If they do, you will
have a case with the police and I promise you, the police
take these things seriously.
I reported this case to the authorities because I want our
young men to know this is not okay. You should not raise
your hands on a woman. You shouldn't even threaten to
raise your hands on a woman. Wizkid wrote that he would
send his 16 year old cousin to beat the poo out of me.
Letting Wizkid get away with it is basically telling our
young men that this is okay...and it's not!
After Wizkid made the threat to me, I saw a lot of teen
boys hailing and applauding him. To them, this was okay.
If their idol can threaten a woman with harm, and use
derogatory words, they also can do it...and that's how the
circle of abuse of women continues. Women being called
'smelly Kitty-Cat' trended online for a day or two! Little
boys were happy to use the words. Sad!
It is appalling to me that anyone, especially women,
would cheer Wizkid on. When he wrote RIP Linda, I saw a
few young girls write same, laughing. This is not a
laughing matter. It doesn't matter whether you like me or
not! This is not about Linda Ikeji. This is about abuse of
women which has eaten deep into our society, so deep
that it has now been accepted as normal. Men do it all the
time and get away with it. So many women are battered
by their husbands and they refuse to speak up because of
the stigma. They refuse to seek help because they are
afraid of what people will say. I am sorry, I am not one of
those women. I refuse to be victimized. And as long as I
have my voice and my platform, I will speak up.
We women have to come together to lend a strong voice
to the plight of women in our continent. When we see a
woman being physically and mentally abused, let's act.
Let's speak up. Let's not laugh and say she deserves it.
If we continue to keep quiet, the circle of abuse will
continue. And one day, You, yes You, will find yourself in
the receiving end of a thundering slap, followed by heavy
blows. If not you, then maybe your daughter? Let's
condemn violence and threat of violence against women!
This is not acceptable!
Young men like Wizkid, a father of two young boys
himself, should never advocate violence against women.
One day, he will have a daughter, how would he feel if
another male threatens to put hands on her or even calls
her a hoe?
I can't count how many times Wizkid called me a hoe in
his rant against me. That's what boys do. When they get
into a fight with a woman, they try to slut-shame her.
Smelly Kitty-Cat, hoe, ashawo etc. You call a woman,
who gave another young woman, whose real name she
doesn't even know N500,000 just because she said she
would rather work by carrying cement than prostitute
herself, that's the person you call a hoe? When your mind
is so warped you can't differentiate between a woman
and a hoe, then this is what happens. Except you drive to
Sanusi Fanfuwa at 2am to pick up a prostitute, who
proudly describes herself as one, then you shouldn't call
any woman a hoe.
Even Tupac who was a well known thug could
differentiate between the types of women he dealt with.
When asked in an interview why he called women bitches,
he said people shouldn't confuse things, that he wouldn't
address a mother or a sister the way he would address a
Dam, that the bitches were the ones he dealt with in the
clubs who behaved like one. He reiterated that he
respected women!
In more civilized countries, Wizkid would have lost his
endorsements and spent the next year or so apologizing
and being in the fore-front of promoting anti-violence
crusades against women. It took Chris Brown years to
get back on his feet after his assault on a woman. Up till
today, he doesn't have any major endorsements and
some countries still deny him entrance into their country
i.e Australia for something he did 7 years ago. Yes,
violence against women is serious!
And there's the case of incitement. When you have power
and influence, you have to be careful what you say in
public. Because you have such power, something you say
can influence your followers. A fan can commit acts that
even you may not support or might not even condone.
But because it came out of your mouth, they think you
mean it. So it is irresponsible to say things that might be
inciteful. In Law, you can be held responsible when
people act based on what you said in public. Tupac was
charged to court and indicted after some thugs killed a
police officer. The thugs went to court and mentioned that
their idol encouraged violence against LA police officers
in a song where he said 'Drop a cop'. So, we folks with
some measure of influence should be more careful with
our utterances. People are watching and listening!
The second reason I filed a police report is to encourage
other women in similar situations to do same. My dear
ladies, if a man threatens to puts hands on you, and you
feel the threat is real, report to the authorities. Don't wait
until he does it. What if you don't survive it? If he's picked
up and may be charged to court (yes, you can be charged
to court for making threats...it's a misdemeanor with a
prison sentence), then he will think twice before making
threats against you in the future or any other woman for
that matter.
I went as far as I did for me and for other women. This is
to pass a strong message to our young men that these
kinds of behaviour towards women will not be tolerated.
Should not be tolerated. If you assault or even threaten to
assault a woman, the law will come after you if she
chooses not to be silent. Women, don't be silent. Let's
break the circle. For your sake, for my sake, for the sake
of our daughters, grand daughters, great grand daughters
and all other women that will follow them.
And that's really all I have to say in the matter. Thank
you guys for reading
And to Wizkid fans, please be rest assured that I wish him
all the best in life. He will continue to grow from strength
to strength (as long as he doesn't endorse violence
against women) and his light will never diminish. God
brought him to this level and will continue to keep him. I
have nothing but love for his craft and hope that one day,
we will put this behind us.
God bless him, me, you and everyone else in the world
Cheers.
No comments:
Post a Comment