Wizkid, and I mean the real Wizkid has been fighting tooth and nail to curb this now constant use of his personality by fraudsters to scam clients and his fans but it might look like the 23 year old singer still has a long way to go.
The sad incident that took place in Surulere Lagos between a renown Cameroonian movie producer,Agbor Gilbert Ebot and an impostor claiming to be Wizkid on March 2013, just sums the number to about 4 in 6months of the same act of fraud.
Agbor Gilbert is best known for his titanic support for Cameroon Entertainment and his films are a confirmation to his magical touch of improvement in the industry. He’s worked with the likes ofNollywood’s finest: Zack Orji, Olu Jacobs, Jim Iyke, Fred Amata and has been awarded for films like:Before The Sunrise, The Blues Kingdom, Pink Poison and recently FAR featuring Dakore Egbuson-Akande and Hollywood starlet, Melisa Determined.
Agbor’s films
You might be wondering, how a man who knows all these people could be duped in Nigeria but here is his story:
A Cameroonian event organizer, Miss Arrey Helen needed some big names from Nigeria to headline her event. So she came to Agbor Gilbert as a friend and someone who’s familiar with the Naija entertainment industry.Gilbert suggested Tuface, J.Martins or Chidinma as people he knew and could easily negotiate with. Miss Helen chose Tuface or Chidinma. After a call to Efe Omoregbe (Tuface manager), the singer wasn’t available. So Gilbert settled for Chidinma. Unfortunately, Chidinma was to visit Cameroon for some other event so, Miss Helen thought her event won’t pull through with the same Chidinma after a month or two.
She now excitedly mentioned Wizkid! But because Gilbert wasn’t familiar with neither Wizkid nor his management, he decided to call up a friend – Mr. Ayuk Ojage – to ask. Ojage agreed to get Wizkid to come grace the event. Gilbert, who was shooting a new film – FAR – in USA at the moment, introduced Helen toOjage to continue the deal while he could face his production.
Agbor Gilbert shooting in USA
While on set in the States, Miss Helen who had already agreed with Ojage called Gilbert to inform him she had the fee Wizkid could be requesting for – $10,000! And begged for Gilbert to go to Nigeria and seal the deal. Mind you that Gilbert only had telephone conversations with ‘Wizkid’ and had not met with him more than once (they met in US a long time ago). He was also given the supposed ‘Wizkid’s number’ by Ojage.
Coming to Lagos on a return flight, Gilbert was quick with the transaction because he still had to return to his set. He was just doing Helen a favor as a friend! Gilbert arrived Lagos (March 7 at 10 am), called Wizkid who couldn’t make it due to heavy Lagos traffic and got the account number instead. To be sure, Gilbert called his friend, DJ Jimmy Jatt who confirmed Wizkid’s real name as Ayodeji Balogun. All seemed well, so Gilbert paid in the money into Wizkid’s Guarantee Trust Bank account (also given to him by Ojage) at Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos at 8:30 am. On his way to the airport the next day, Gilbert called for wizkid to meet him at the airport but again, heavy Lagos traffic couldn’t allow it and Gilbert was on the morning flight! So he left! “I called Ayuk Ojage to tell me, Wizkid just called and told me i shouldn’t worry he would send the promo jingle via YouTube… I am sure he is my guy”.
After weeks of neither jingle nor phone call from Wizkid, Gilbert returned to Lagos determined to see him at his house of which he did. But this time he met with the Real Wizkid and this one had no idea of what Gilbert was talking about. “Wizkid was shocked and said he didn’t know any Ayuk Ojage. I was confused so there and then, I called Ojage and Wizkid took the phone and out rightly scolded, ‘guy I don’t know you!’”
Wizkid was kind enough to tell Gilbert to immediately report to the authorities and promised going to theEFCC to report too. Gilbert returned to the GT Bank where the account – having just 400,000 Naira – was immediately blocked. The police on the other hand succeeded to get a court order and the case is still pending.
The Fake Wizkid who has been discovered only on Whatsapp as ‘Kevin’ is still on the run but the police have promised to get him.
Agbor Gilbert Ebot is still forced to pay back the lost $10,000 (1,290,000 Naira) to Miss Ayuk Helen else he his international passport and licence will remain in the hands of the police. He’s been locked up twice on this issue and his reputation is on the line. His home country believes he is a fraud because Helen wants it that way and he can’t live in peace and quiet like he used to.
Questions; Why has Ayuk Ojage not been arrested up till now, if he provided the Wizkid contact? How was the fake Wizkid discovered to be called ‘Kevin”?
There are many unanswered questions after reading this producer’s ordeal but we are hoping this fraudster is found and jailed ASAP!! Enough is enough! Not just Wizkid, but many other Nigerian stars attention has been called based on this same situation!
Real Wizkid & The Fake Wizkid aka Kevin
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