7 Nigerian Celebrities Sentenced to Prison.

The law applies to everyone, including celebrities who have had several encounters with it. 

Their offenses are often serious enough to warrant prison sentences, and I have listed seven such cases that are quite intriguing. 

The second story, in particular, is shocking.

Without any delay, let me share these fascinating stories with you.

1. Ibinabo Fiberesima

What Happened:

On February 26, 2006, Ibinabo Fiberesima was driving along the Lekki-Epe expressway when she lost control of her vehicle and veered into the inbound lane. Tragically, her car collided with the car of a medical practitioner named Suraj Giwa, causing his death.

Ibinabo was arrested and charged with manslaughter and reckless driving. In 2009, she was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison by Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of a Lagos State High Court.

However, her lawyer, Nnaemeka Amaechina, filed an appeal, and she was released on bail.

Unfortunately, on March 11, 2016, the Lagos High Court upheld Ibinabo’s five-year prison sentence and dismissed her appeal.

What Ibinabo Fiberesima Had To Say About The Accident:

I was driving along Lekki road, returning home after picking up a friend’s daughter from a church Fellowship. Suddenly, a red car overtook the SUV in front of me. The SUV was traveling slowly, so I shifted to its front, too. The red vehicle was being driven by a young man and had his friends with him…I drove past the red car. I think that might have angered the young chap because he swiftly sped from behind, drove past me, and made a sudden stop in my front.

I tried to avoid hitting those boys in the red car. I swerved and lost control in that moment, the impact dived my vehicle into an inbound lane. Dr. Giwa was inbound, thus he drove into my car and both cars collided. I collapsed and passed out. Three days later, I woke up in a hospital bed to learn what had happened. I was weak, sore, and in pain. I could not move my legs. I had been sedated for three days. Doctors said they had to sedate me to numb my pain. Meanwhile, the police had been informed that I was in that hospital. The Lagos State Police came to the hospital to take my statement of what happened. After I gave them my statement, I was arrested at the hospital and charged to court.

Ibinabo Speaking About Her Time In Jail:

First, when I was ushered into the Black Maria, after the court verdict, I went into a shock. I cried out for help, but nobody heard my cry . And when the Black Maria moved from the court to pick other inmates in other courts, it dawn on me that the game was up. When we got to a particular court, I refused to climb down from the Black Maria. There, a woman joined me with a child.

I was dumfounded. As I summoned up courage to ask what she was doing with a child in a Black Maria, she said to me; “I don’t have anywhere to keep her, hence I’m going to prison with her.” I felt bad. Eventually, that same baby was soon to become everybody’s baby in prison . More drama was soon to unfold as the Black Maria approached the prison gate.

I passed out. I couldn’t believe it. That I, Ibinabo was going to make the prison my new home. For three days, I was in a shock. And when I recovered, I started receiving inmates who called to sympathise with me. Soon, life returned to normal and my interaction with other inmates became cordial. Life in the prison could be compared to lfe in a female hostel in high school. And since I was a boarder in high school, I was quick to adjusted to the environment. The warders were nice to me. I was amazed at the way the warders treated me. But what hurts most was knowing that some inmates had spent between five and seven years on awaiting trial.

Ibinabo is now out of prison and has gotten involved in politics.

2. Rabi Ismaila

This story is absolutely astonishing! To summarize, in 2002, Rabi Ismaila, a Nollywood actress based in Kano, was found guilty of murdering her boyfriend, Mr. Auwalu, in order to acquire his property. 

She drugged and drowned him during a picnic by poisoning him with chocolate and pushing him into a dam.

In 2005, she was sentenced to death by hanging by a High Court in Kano, and in 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. She was imprisoned in Kaduna Central prison, from where she later escaped and evaded the police for six years.

Finally, in 2017, a joint operation by the Department of State Services and the Intelligence Unit of the Nigerian Prisons Service led to the recapture of the convicted actress.

3. Naira Marley

What Happened:

In 2019, Nigerian singer, Naira Marley was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Speaking on the arrest, the acting EFCC spokesperson, Mr. Tony Orilade said:

Yes, he is with us. He’s not the only person; he had some other persons also arrested alongside (him). They were arrested in relation to advance fee fraud — Internet-related cases and all of that

What Did Naira Marley Say About The Arrest:

Lemme tell you, you don’t nothing about me, I have been arrested 124 times in England and I am not doing any other type of music, No slow songs, no love songs, just street music.

The singer has since then continued to make music that has become very popular around Nigeria.

4. Dammy Krane

On June 2, 2017, Dammy Krane, a Nigerian singer, was apprehended in Florida and charged with theft, credit card fraud, and scam. 

According to Tapjets, an American jet company, Dammy used five different credit cards that did not belong to him while trying to book a private jet with them.

He was eventually released from jail in Miami after meeting the $7,500 bail requirements. He entered a plea of not guilty and requested a trial by jury.

In August 2017, the American court dismissed all charges against Dammy, including armed conspiracy, grand theft, and credit card forgery.

5. Sinzu

Babalola Falemi, also known as Sinzu, a Nigerian rapper, was imprisoned for two years due to aggravated identity theft. 

He was sent to prison after he admitted to committing aggravated identity theft, which is defined in the US penal code as the “illegal taking of someone else’s or a business’s property, ranging from $1000 to $500,000.”

According to reports, Sinzu stole over 15 bank cards, encoded the bank numbers onto blank cards, changed the PINs, and withdrew cash from ATMs, thereby stealing $15,388 from unsuspecting victims.

The rapper served his sentence at the Ada County Jail, a medium security prison affiliated with the Idaho Sheriff Department, before being released on March 25, 2018.

6. Yetunde Wunmi

Yetunde Wunmi, a popular actress in the Yoruba movie industry, was arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in October 2006 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos for allegedly trafficking cocaine. 

She was about to board a Virgin Atlantic plane to London when she was apprehended. After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to three years imprisonment by Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

7. Uche Odoputa

Nollywood actor Uche Odoputa was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on Friday 23 March, 2007, while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. 

He had ingested 1.336kg of cocaine which he later excreted out. In an interview, Uche confessed that he was lured into drug trafficking because he believed it could significantly improve his standard of living.

He expressed remorse for disappointing his family and allowing his London associates to manipulate him into the illegal activity. Consequently, the actor was sentenced to two years and three weeks in prison.

Originally posted 2023-05-13 16:29:17.