Veteran Nigerian rapper Ruggedman has refuted claims that he was arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti, Yaba.
The rumours were sparked by a statement from human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu, who alleged on Thursday that the rapper was in police custody and suffering mistreatment linked to a dispute involving the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN).
However, in an Instagram post on Saturday, Ruggedman dismissed the allegation as baseless and an attempt to tarnish his image. He clarified that a petition had indeed been filed against him and other members of PMAN, but it had nothing to do with theft.
“The information that I was arrested for stealing money is false. It is fake. It was just a smear campaign by disgruntled human beings,” he said.
He went on to explain that the petition, submitted by Pretty Okafor—the suspended national president of PMAN—was related to missing funds allegedly unaccounted for within the association’s office.
“There was a petition written against me, Sunny Neji, Zaaki Azzay, and a couple of other people,” Ruggedman said. “It wasn’t about us stealing money but about money missing in an office, which has not been proved. There’s no evidence proving that they saw me or Sunny Neji with money.”
According to the rapper, the complaint stems from internal disputes within PMAN. He alleged that Pretty Okafor, who was suspended by the association’s National Working Committee (NWC) for alleged misconduct, retaliated by filing the petition.
“The same people who suspended him were the same people he wrote a petition against, and that money is missing in the same PMAN office. Not that we stole money. He still has to prove that he saw us holding money,” he added.
Back in August 2024, PMAN’s national executive council announced the suspension of Ruggedman alongside Sunny Neji, Zaaki Azzay, and JFO Baba Ojonorgua, citing misconduct as the reason.
