5 Nigerian Musicians Who Got Arrested Overseas

Nobody wants to go to jail but people end up there for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, those people also happen to be Nigerian musicians. Today we'll be counting down 5 Nigerian celebrities who got arrested overseas and why. Are you ready to see who they are? Then let's go!

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1. Sauce Kid

Nigerian rapper, Babalola Falemi, popularly known as Sauce Kid, was arrested in an American prison for stealing $15,388. The American police caught up with him when he wanted to board a flight at Boise Airport in Idaho, USA. He was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts each of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and possession of 15 or more fraudulent bank cards. Police said that as at the time of his arrest, Sauce Kid was caught with a card-encoding device and about $6,000 cash. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

2. Naira Marley

Nigerian musician Naira Marley was famously arrested in 2019 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). But according to the "Soapy" singer, that wasn't the first time he was getting arrested. Naira Marley said:

Lemme tell you, you don’t nothing about me, I have been arrested 124 times in England.

Since then, Naira Marley has put his head down and focused squarely on his music. He hasn't been arrested since.

3. Larry Gaaga

Record producer and music executive, Larry Gaaga is another musician who actually got arrested overseas. During an interview with music journalist Joey Akan, Larry Gaaga while talking about his complicated relationship with his father revealed he was arrested in Ivory Coast over fake passport. He said:

I’m a first child. My dad, when he started making money, he spent a lot on me to go to school. But he was confused too. Today it’s about being a doctor. Tomorrow, it’s the lawyer. You know how parents can be. All my life, I wanted to travel. I even made some moves that got me arrested and jailed. Where’s Ivory Coast again?

They locked me up. Some Ibadan boys sold me a fake EEC passport. I was moving with my friends. We’ve done different things to get out of the country, thinking, if you’re in London or America, you’ve made it. He wanted and expected a lot from me. He was disappointed in me. No matter what I studied, I just wanted to have a certificate. I followed my uncle’s advice but it wasn’t what my father wanted. Today, he’s a happy man.

4. Dammy Krane

On June 2, 2017, Nigerian singer, Dammy Krane was arrested in Florida on charges of theft, credit card scam and fraud. An American jet company, Tapjets, accused Dammy of using five different credit cards which didn't belong to him while trying to book the private jet with them.

He was later released from his jail in Miami after meeting the $7,500 bail conditions. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and demanded a trial by jury.

In August 2017, the American court struck out all charges against Dammy including credit card forgery, armed conspiracy and grand theft.

5. Tems

In December of 2020, Tems and fellow singer Omah Lay both got arrested by officers of the Uganda police in Kampala for flouting covid-19 guidelines. They were arrested shortly after their performance on Saturday night at The Big Brunch, a concert that held at Speke Resort, Wavamunno Rd, Kampala. They spent two days in police custody with a court hearing before they were released and returned to Nigeria on Thursday 17th December.

Which of these musicians' arrests surprised you the most? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment either below or on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.

That's All.

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