March 24, (THEWILL)- Then I saw some three very big fellas in front of Eedris, telling him to stand up. The Nigerian star refused. There was a verbal exchange. I looked beyond the guys and saw 50 Cent standing just by the door of the airplane with a “what is going on here?” expression on his face. Without further ado, one of 50 Cent’s security dragged Eedris up and Eedris’ security responded. And it became a free for all fight. I did not even stand up from my seat as I was too stunned and taken by surprise by what was happening to react. Blows were falling with heavy thuds and what I saw next was one of 50 Cent’s guys having Eedris in a deadly chokehold while the blood of one of his bodyguards was flowing freely from a deep gash on his right cheek.
When Eedris was finding it difficult to breathe, with his last strength, he managed to scream: “Nigeria journalists, una dey here and dem dey beat me like dis, Nigerian artistes, shame on you all”.
I recall someone saying behind me: “Sebi wen dem dey beg you since, you no gree, nah now you know say Nigerian journalists and artistes dey here abi? Idiot”.
Eedris was breathless, his hands were slowly dropping, that was when the sound of a bottle that was smashed violently, caused panic in the plane and saved Eedris. I am not sure you have witnessed pandemonium inside a plane or a small area before. It is best you don’t. Everybody was trying to run to the front of the plane where the only exit door was at, over 100 people, all at once! That was when airport security with FAAN officials came and evacuated us all back to the departure lounge.
YOUNG BUCK’s LIE
At this point, I will like to address the lie told by one of 50 Cent’s sidekicks who I never knew was in his band when the incident happened. Young Buck. Real name is David Darnell Brown. I have been watching a video where Young Buck, who is also an American artiste, described what could have happened only in a Hollywood movie as what happened that day. The video made me laugh and very angry at the same time. He said Eedris, in the course of the fracas, made a call and as the plane was taxiing, a very ‘big dude’ appeared on the runway and was walking towards the plane and the pilots stopped the plane, opened the door and jumped out! Wait o, did that guy narrate the incident of that day or there was another one involving Eedris and 50 Cent that I know nothing about? Why do people take delight in lying? And if one must lie, why don’t you tell a lie about an event you were the SOLE witness to?
The plane did not even start its engines that morning. In fact, the door of the plane did not close. So, where did Young Buck see a ‘big dude’ walking towards the taxiing plane after Eedris’ call, which made the pilots flee and left us all in the middle of the runway? Haba! No nah! In all my adult life, Young Buck’s lie should win an international award because it was my first time coming into close contact with a bare face lie and perhaps a liar!
Even if I can’t recall every other person inside the plane like the members of thedefunct KC Presh, made up of Kingsley Okonkwo, aka Kcee, and Precious John, aka Presh. The other person was Kcee’s wealthy brother, Emeka Okonkwo, aka E-Money who then was like the manager of the group. I have consistently mentioned Olumide Iyanda who by the grace of God is still very much alive, so I am asking, when did a big dude appear from the woods and was walking towards the already taxiing plane which made the pilot to abandon us all on the runway and run away?
Wen dat one happen abeg?
Now, back to where airport security evacuated all of us back to the departure lounge. At the lounge, Eedris was still blowing hot. He was all over the place making a whole lot of noise. The other artistes in the plane who were all now back with us at the departure lounge were obviously not happy with him, but no one, because of his violent disposition, could confront him. In fact, they were scared of him because at that point, Eedris was ready to fight even his father.
On the other side, officials of the company were trying to placate 50 Cent while some non-artistes who could muster the courage to meet Eedris, were talking to him. The mission was clear: let there be peace and the journey to Port Harcourt should resume.
How I Got Into The News
I was sitting some metres away from a boiling Eedris at the departure lounge. Somehow, our eyes locked and he probably did not see the disgust about his action written all over my face or he did, but decided to find out why I was disgusted.
As I made to walk past him (we were all restless, walking about the lounge that day anyway), Eedris beckoned on me to stop. I stood in front of him and in his phoney American accent which he was parading when he was a star, he asked me how I perceived his action. Well, what many others, including his colleagues, were too afraid to tell him, I now had the opportunity to tell him. I told him that what he did was “stupid”.
I recall using the word “stupid”. Before he could react, I gave him an analogy. I asked if he had just two chairs in his living room, one was finer than the other, and a stranger came visiting, which of the chairs would he offer the visitor? That was when it dawned on him that I was not on his side.
He flared up and we started exchanging harsh words. He called me a ‘sell out’ taking sides with a foreigner against my own. The next thing, his goons jumped me from behind and in less than a minute, my long-sleeved shirt was in tatters, my two mobile phones, one a Nokia and Motorola, were smashed into smithereens. I however managed to take a few pot shots at Eedris, but three men to one when I am not a ‘Jack Bauer’ was like 27.90 to 1.06 odds to win.
It was one of the officials of the company who brought another new shirt for me, I don’t even know how he did it. So, folks, that was how I got into the news.
HOW CHARLIE BOY GOT INVOLVED
Enter Charles Oputa, aka Charly Boy, into the mix. Unknown to some of us, Eedris had pulled a call through to him even in the midst of the hell storm. A much younger Charly Boy then, with some rough looking characters (who will you see with Charlie Boy if not rough looking characters, especially when he is the self-acclaimed Area Fada?) arrived; all looking like some goons in a low budget Nigerian movie. As at then, there was cheering news that 50 Cent had agreed to continue the trip to Port Harcourt. We were all shuttling between the tarmac just outside the departure lounge and inside the lounge because 50 Cent and his bandsmen refused to join the rest of us there. They were obviously now scared and understandably so.
When Charlie Boy arrived, and was within earshot of 50 Cent, he announced loudly in his American accent: “This is our country, we run things, things don’t run us”.
That to 50 Cent was a veiled threat and I overheard him ask the officials of the company that organised the show: “Who the f*ck is this guy?”. He was told Charlie Boy was the president of PMAN. In case you don’t know the full meaning of PMAN, let me help you. PMAN means Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria. And that was when 50 Cent changed his mind again about going to Port Harcourt. He obviously figured what manner of an artistes’ union president is, who did not bother to hear from the other party before issuing a veiled threat. Did I forget to tell you that as we were being evacuated from the plane, Eedris loudly told 50 Cent’s men that if they dared step foot on Port Harcourt soil, he would call Ijaw militants (many of you erroneously referred to those militants then as ‘Niger Delta’ militants, but they were actually of Ijaw/Rivers stock only) on them. Need I remind you that back in the day, it was Ijaw militants that the whole country dreaded the same way we now dread Boko Haram and bandits from the north? Boko Haram and bandits were on the side lines then watching the M.O of Ijaw militants.
After the veiled threat by Charlie Boy, 50 Cent once again refused to embark on the trip to Port Harcourt. The organisers were now desperate. Eedris, on seeing Charlie Boy, calmed down, perhaps with the hope that CB would handle the situation well.
About the Author
Justin Akpovi-Esade
