Where Is Baba Suwe, The Yoruba Nollywood Actor?

Hello to my enthusiastic Opera readers. Am here once again to enlighten you on the whereabouts of Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as baba suwe. 

 Every Yoruba movie fan will probably know him, and those who haven't watched any of his movie will probably have heard of him from people.

  But we all haven't seen him in any movie for a very long time.why? 

  I would love to explain that since that is the reason behind the writing of this article.

  I will start my article from 2011 when the Nollywood actor and comedian was arrested at the airport by the National Drug Law And Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). My outline goes thus: 

1: Arrested at the Airport by the NDLEA.

2: His prison trials and Bail.

3: Freedom.

4: The Nollywood actor sues NDLEA for damages done to his reputation, and demands for compensation.(The most interesting part of the story)

5: The sudden death of Baba Suwe's lawyer and how he lost 25 million naira!

6: The Nollywood actor was dying and had to be flown out of Nigeria for treatment.

7: The return of Baba Suwe and his whereabout currently as of now.

 Please proceed along with me in reading this very interesting article.

1: Baba Suwe's arrest by the NDLEA.

   On the 12th of October, 2011, Babatunde Omidina was arrested by anti-narcotics agents after a routine x-ray scan meant for all travellers revealed multiple hyper-dense nodular particles in his gastro intestinal tract (stomach region).

 I expected he was arrested and taken out of the airport, and that was the beginning of his trials. 

2: Prison trials and his bail.

  He was being detained at the NDLEA base, and he was made to pass stool and excrete, hoping that whichever drug he ingested will be excreted out.

  Imagine being compelled to pass stool against your own will, end excrete when your body system doesn't want to. This continued on for few days.

 However, Bamidele Aturu, the brilliant lawyer who had taken on the actor's case, send a letter to the Director General of the National Drug And Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), requesting for the release of Babatunde Omidina, or get ready to face a lawsuit.

  Soon, Baba Suwe was granted bail at the sum of five hundred thousand naira (2,000 dollars,at 250 naira per dollar Which was the then exchange rate).

 3: Freedom

 After a whole 3 weeks of detainment by the NDLEA, no cocaine, heroine or any narcotic was found in his stools.

He was therefore released. Many of his fans were happy to see the Nollywood veteran come out of detainment.

 Many were happy for his freedom.

 But was he? 

4: He sued the NDLEA to Court!

 After the Nollywood celebrity, actor and comedian was released, upon instruction, his lawyer sued the NDLEA for damages done to the reputation of his client. 

  To cut the long story short, lawyer Bamidele Aturu demanded for a 1 billion naira compensation for all the damages and maltreatments which his client faced in detention.

  And guess what?

 In November 2011, high Court in Ikeja ordered the Nigeria Drug Law and Enforcement Agency to pay the celebrity actor, Babatunde Omidina a sum of 25 million naira as compensation for a violation of rights and detainment for more than 24 hours without being charged to court. The court also ordered that an apology from the NDLEA should be published on any two widely read newspapers in Nigeria.

  Both sides are free to decide on which newspaper company to use to tender the apology.

 Anyway, it's such a good compensation for all the Nollywood actor's trials, and 25 million naira is just enough to create smiles on the Nollywood actor's face.

 But do you think NDLEA will really pay that amount?

5: The sudden death of Baba Suwe's lawyer, coupled with the loss of the 25 million naira!

  On the 9th of July 2014, the legal representative of the Nollywood actor, Bamidele Aturu died at age 49, after a brief period of illness. He died a day before attending a court case in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

He suddenly slumped in his office, and was rushed to the hospital. He later died few moments after his arrival at hospital.

  Meanwhile, the Nigerian Drug and Law Enforcement Agency decided to take the case to the court of appeal, being unsatisfied which the judgement of the high Court.

 The Nollywood actor has not been paid any dime till now, as his lawyer has died and it seems the judgement of the high Court has been ignored by the NDLEA.

6: Urgent medical attention is needed. Baba Suwe is dying!

  The Yoruba Nollywood celebrity had chronic diabetes, coupled with some other chronic ailments. He needed money urgently for his medical treatment which will be done outside Nigeria, and it's a very expensive procedure.

 Many Nollywood Actors, Actresses and some other important figures in the entertainment industry individually put in donations for him. Many other philanthropists also contributed money for his treatment.

  In fact Yemi Osinbajo, the current vice president of Nigeria donated 1 million naira for his treatment. Prophetess Esther Ajayi, founder of Cherubim and seraphim Church in London, donated 10 million naira for his treatment.

 He was flown abroad in April 2019, to a hospital in Rhode island.

7: The return of Baba Suwe.

 In May 2019, Baba Suwe returned from the hospital in Rhode island, upon his full recovery.

  He appreciated all is well wishers had friends that donated for him, he also thanked prophetess Esther Ajayi, who give him 10 million naira for his treatment back then.

 Now Baba Suwe is back and should within a shortwhile get back on stage, we really hope to hear from him soon.

  The NDLEA arrest happened in 2011. The court ordered 25 million naira to be paid to him in November 2011. His lawyer's death occurred in 2014. The Nollywood actor left Nigeria, and went abroad for treatment in April, 2019.He Returned back to Nigeria in May 2019.

 What are your views on the action taken by the NDLEA during his arrest and detainment?

  Do you think that NDLEA really violated his right, or they were just doing their own job? 

  Do you feel he should have been given more or lesser than the 25 million naira compensation, or should he even be given any?

  Follow me for more updates and let's hear your views in the comment section. 

Content created and supplied by: VictorIyiola (via Opera News )