Stop Spreading Lies, Maligning Name Of Dr Akintoye Your Benefactor In Media Associates, Friends Warn Eldee, Nigerian Rapper; Sue For N100bn

By Akeem Oduyoye

The associates and friends of the Interim Managing Director of  Duport Midstream Company Limited Dr Akintoye Akindele have warned a prominent Nigerian rapper, Sikirullahi Dabiri, popularly called Eldee, to stop the campaign of calumny, lies, frivolous and unsubstantiated allegations against his benefactor in the media.

Already, the rapper has been slammed with a N100bn damages over his alleged defamatory comments on a businessman, Dr  Akindele on Friday, in Lagos.

The businessman, through his lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, claimed Eldee unguardedly and maliciously branded him as a fraudster during a podcast with Teju Babyface on August 15, 2023.

During the podcast, Eldee alleged that Akindele defrauded investors and used their money to fund girls’ extravagant lifestyles.

Akintoye’s friends and associates have called on Eldee to stop the traditional media and social media war against Akintoye, who has done so many things for him to be where he is today in the Nigerian music industry.

They added that his action has damaged and brought  the name of the astute businessman to disrepute in the eyes of the public.

According to his associates and friends, who spoke with royaltimes.com on condition of anonymity, said the musician is doing the biding of some faceless people in Akindele’s company, who want to take over the company from him (Akindele) without minding what it will cost them.

 They added that these faceless people within the company, who don’t want Akindele to be at the helm of the company, had made various allegations against him, which according to them are baseless and unfounded.

According to them, after their campaign in the media did not yield result they expected, the now co-opted Eldee to their side to revive the media war against Akindele, just as they also added that the musician had visited a studio of a prominent standup comedian granted an interview maligning and dragging the name of Akindele to the mud.

“It is unfortunate that Eldee is doing this to his benefactor who has done so much for him to rise to the position he is today in the Nigerian music industry. Akindele has spent a lot of money on him, not to talk of getting an apartment in Lagos for him and his wife to stay,” one associate said.

Another friend of Akindele added: “In fact, what Akindele did for him is too numerous to mention. It seems Eldee is biting the finger that feeds him. It is very, very unfortunate that Eldee is doing this. We did not expect that Eldeeb will be the one to be spearheading the campaign of calumny, lies against the man who was at his beck and call at the hour of need. I pray that he retrace his steps and stop doing what he is currently doing against his benefactor.”

“Eldee has forgotten what Akindele did for him when he went on music tour to Ghana, how he (Akindele) foot the bill of all his expenses throughout his stay there. It seems he has short memory for him to be doing this for a man who did all these for him. He is an ingrate. It is unfortunate that he is doing all these to pay back a good man.” another friend of Akindele added.

Another associate added that it is unfortunate that “Eldee has been attending talk shows of some prominent Nigerian comedians to malign the name of Akindele.”

He cited one comedian talk show where the musician granted an interview making false allegations against the business man, saying he (Akindele) took millions of naira from investors, lied to them and took the money to sponsor a lifestyle.

“The allegations of fraudulent conversion of funds for personal use leveled against Akindele by the musician are yet to be investigated and the guilt of same yet to be proved. With this, Eldee should have provable facts at his
disposal before making such a careless allegations against Dr Akindele,” one of his associates told theroyaltimes.com.

Barrister Olajengbesi, concurs with the associates sentiment, saying the allegations were baseless, untrue, ridiculous, and defamatory.

“It is pertinent to state at this point that our client (Akindele) remains a law-abiding and diligent businessman for many years.

“The acts complained of has not only defamed our client but has also disingenuously subjected him to public ridicule and while also relegating his status with business partners, investors, friends and family who called his
attention to the said publication.

“We are equally aware of the fact that you have recently been recruited by some cohorts and power-lodgers in the ongoing power tussle to wrestle for the management of Duport Midstream Company Limited; a company that Our Client built painstakingly and meticulously through years of diligence and commitment.

“More disconcerting is your role in this malicious publication being a beneficiary of Our Client’s generosity during a time of need. You may recall Our Client’s goodwill to you over the years when your dying career needed survival and Our Client provided you with a shoulder to lean on. Your transformation from a beneficiary to an antagonist only amplifies the gravity of your actions, suggesting ulterior motives driven by a sinister alliance,” the lawyer stated.

Olajengbesi, therefore, demanded that Eldee retract his alleged defamatory comments on Akindele through the same podcast. The lawyer gave the rapper 72 hours beginning Friday to do so or face the machinery of the law.

Other demands include: “An unreserved letter of apology written by you and addressed to our client; admitting the falsity of your publications and apologising for same.

“A sum of N100,000,000,000.00 (One Hundred Billion Naira) as damages for the injury caused to our client by your defamatory publication.”

 Akindele’s friends and associate admitted that the businessman was arrested and later released, adding that his arrest was orchestrated by his enemies in the company, just as they added that Akindele has already filled a case against his detention