Sunday, May 25, 2025 -Veteran Nigerian rapper, Ruggedman (Michael Ugochukwu Stephens), has denied widespread reports that he was arrested for financial misconduct alongside fellow musicians Zaki Azzay, Sunny Neji, Boniface Itodo, and Fega Michaels.
In a video shared on his social media, Ruggedman clarified
that the news of his arrest is completely false and part of a smear campaign
allegedly orchestrated by Pretty Okafor, the suspended former president of the
Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (P-Man).
“There was a
petition written against myself, Sunny Neji, Zaki Azzay, Boniface Itodo, and a
couple of others. It’s not about us stealing money. It’s about money allegedly
missing in the P-Man office—which has not been proven,” Ruggedman stated.
He explained that the petition came shortly after the
National Working Committee (NWC) of P-Man, which includes him and the other
named artists, suspended Pretty Okafor for illegal actions against the union.
“So you see
how this is going? The same people who suspended him are the same people he
wrote a petition against,” he said.
Ruggedman insisted that neither he nor the others named were
caught with any money, adding that some of those listed in the reports—like
Sunny Neji, Zaki Azzay, and Yinka Davies—weren’t even in Lagos when the court
case was first reported.
He also addressed media houses spreading the false news:
“I advise
you take down those publications before I say I’m going to sue you for
defamation. You’re sharing false information.”
Ruggedman further stated that the newly recognized president
of P-Man, Chief Fruitful Mekwunye, who only stepped into office in May 2025,
was also wrongly included in the revised petition—despite the incident
allegedly happening in March.
“How can
someone who wasn’t even there at the time be named in the petition?” he
questioned.
He ended the video reaffirming his innocence and commitment
to defending Nigerian musicians:
“Do not let
one bad man use you as a tool to tarnish the image of innocent people.
Ruggedman say so.”
Watch the video below..
RUGGEDMAN denies arrest, calls out ‘disgruntled human beings ‘spreading lies pic.twitter.com/hoErVFVtyo
— DAILY POST 🇳🇬 (@dailypost_ng) May 25, 2025
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