The Lagos state police commisioner, Edgal Imohimi, yesterday declared popular musician Burna Boy wanted, for his involvement in the robbery attack on David Abiye, alias Mr2kay.
The police revealed that investigations conducted and confessions from some of the suspects arrested showed that Burna Boy contracted them to teach Mr2Kay a lesson.
The incident happened at 11pm after the “Buckwyld N Breathless” concert at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, where he also performed.
The artiste was said to have been brutalised by the robbers and threatened to be killed if he did not cooperate with them.
Abiye who was beaten and tied up by the armed men, allegedly lost his Audemais Piquet (AP), automatic gold wristwatch worth $25,000, gold jewellery valued at N1.5 million, mobile phones, a pair of Adidas shoes, cash and perfumes to the thieves who posed as hotel workers.
The suspects are Balogun Ademola, 23, Obinna Igwe, 20 and Omotore Tunmise, 27.
Ademola and Igwe are said to be students of the University of Lagos. Tunmise is an artisan.
The gang confessed that Burna Boy, through his road manager, Joel Kantiock, paid them to rob Abiye, so as to teach the victim a lesson.
According to Kantiock his boss Ogiulu instructed him to look for armed men that can rob Abiye to teach him a lesson.
He mobilised the gang with an initial cash sum of N50,000 and a subsequent N50,000 when the job was completed.
Kantiock however, denied knowing any of the suspects. But the gang leader, Omotore, said Kantiock invited him to deal with Mr. 2Kay on the orders of his boss.
He said,
“Kantiock called me on the telephone and said Mr. 2Kay had to be beaten up. He said Mr. 2Kay had issues with Burna Boy. On getting to the hotel, he gave me the room number where Mr. 2Kay was.
“He led me and three others, including one Sunny, to the elevator and told a security man to open the elevator for us. We posed as room service officials, entered his room and beat him up. We tied him up and collected his phones, a wristwatch and some other things. I was paid N50,000.”
According to Igwe:
“Omotore contacted me. He said Burna Boy told his road manager that he was having a misunderstanding with Mr. 2Kay.”