Naeto C at the Abuja Velodrome, 2008
According to Ehiglad, organizers of the show, they had approached Naeto C last month to perform at a gig called Love Concert 3 in Benin. The show which took place on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at the very popular night club Hexagon, was headlined by Terry G and featured other Nigerian acts like Sound Sultan, Gandoki and Bovi.
A friend of the organizer of the show, Edo based entertainment boss Andy Bello tells us Naeto C settled for a performance fee of N500,000. In addition, his flight to and fro Benin was also to be taken care of. Bello says the performance fee was then paid in full.
Naeto C and two crew members landed in Benin on the day of the show and even tweeted about it. ‘In Benin with the crew, Gandoki has kept me laughing 4 3hrs, my ribs are sore lol’, @NaetoC tweeted.
‘When the time came to perform, the rapper told us that he wouldn’t step out of his room if he hadn’t be paid the return ticket fees for him and his crew. In addition to that he also said that he would be granting any interviews as that was not part of their initial agreement’, Andy Bello tells NET
‘We pleaded with him and even when comedian Gandoki offered to pay N50,000 to assist, he turned it down’, he added.
We’re told all efforts to get Naeto to the concert proved abortive, the show was forced go on without him.
A source who attended the show says Naeto C never showed up at the club. ‘We partied till around 4AM, he never showed up’.
The show ended a few minutes past 5AM and the organizers who were furious at this point marched towards the Wesley Hotel situated at No. 2 Aguele Street, Off Aikhionbare Street, G.R.A., Benin City, (a call was made to the official phone number gotten from the hotel’s website and it was confirmed that Naeto indeed lodged there).
‘When we got there and tried gaining access to the rapper’s hotel room, we met it locked. The hotel management confirmed the rapper and his crew were still inside the room and after a while, the organizers requested the hotel manager bring the master key’.
The manager of the hotel Mr Wesley brought the master key which was used to open the door. The organizers barged in and confronted Naeto. One of the organizers then slapped Naeto C. The rapper dazed, was said to have calmly replied ‘I’m a simple guy, let’s try to work it out’.
We are told Naeto C was then escorted by soldiers to a nearby ATM where he was asked to withdraw money in a bid to return the performance fee. We hear Gandoki also supported in paying back the money. The organizers have stated that Naeto refunded performance fee.
But it didn’t end there as a another source tells us a colonel and few other soldiers later stormed the hotel, arresting the hotel manager the said Mr Wesley, the show organizer. It is believed that Naeto C had placed a call to some in high authority who in return sent the security operatives. How true this is, we can’t really tell as at the time of this report.
Naeto then filed a complaint claiming he lost $6,000 and a BlackBerry Bold 9900. We are told the organizers were subsequently released on bail.
But one of the performers at the concert who would rather remain anonymous says the story is not entirely true. ‘Yes Naeto C didn’t perform but I’m not quite sure if he ever got paid N500,000 initially. And his money and phone were truly stolen. I witnessed what happened. They are lucky Naeto isn’t suing them’, our source says.
Speaking with Nigerian Entertainment Today, Naeto C who’s signed to Storm Records, says he has nothing to say about the matter. ‘I can’t disclose information because of the involvement of all other parties’.
Sound Sultan also refrained from many any comments. ‘Please you can ask Naeto himself’, the veteran singer said.
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