#OneVoiceNigeria: 2face denies arrest, apologises for pulling out of protest

2face Idibia

Popular musician, 2face Idibia, has denied online reports (not in Qed.ng) that he was arrested by the Department of State Service (DSS) and forced to announce the cancellation of the #OneVoiceNigeria protest.

“Thanks for the concern guys. I’m fine and free. Reports about DSS arrest are not true,” the embattled pop star wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.

2face was heavily criticised by some fans for pulling out of the protest on Saturday after galvanising many people to take part.

He had claimed in a video released on Saturday that his withdrawal was for safety reasons and security considerations because some wrong elements wanted to hijack the protest.

Some blame his volte-face on intimidation by security forces, prompting false reports about a DSS arrest.

Mindful of the damage the turnaround could do to his reputation, 2face has apologised to those who feel let down by his cancellation.

Speaking through a statement by the 2face Foundation, the man born Innocent Idibia reached out to “the fans, colleagues and everyday Nigerians who feel let down by the cancellation of this protest.”

The protest, however, went on in some parts of the country without him.

“Arguably one of the country’s most influential musicians, he saw it fit to use his considerable platform; at the core of which are Nigerians, to amplify their voice. This is why he chose to march for the cause, and why he was so honoured when his industry colleagues pledged their support,” the statement said.

It then went on to explain what led to 2face’s announcement of a cancellation:

“In line with the commitment of One Voice Nigeria to ensure a peaceful and impactful protest, The 2face Foundation and partners engaged with the security agencies to resolve all major security concerns but treacherous gaps remain that we are unwilling to ignore.

“The risk of hijack by various political and sundry interests intent on using the platform to drive agendas that we as The 2face Foundation are not aligned with and therefore exposing protesters to high levels of danger is the main reason why 2baba regretfully had to withdraw himself from the march. He has refused to inadvertently present a platform for mischief makers to exploit.

“2baba would like to express his great regret over these circumstances to everyone who feels disappointed. However, he hopes they will agree that as he said in the video announcing the development; ‘no protest is worth the blood of any Nigerian’.

“He would also like to thank everyone; both individuals, and bodies like EiE which offered their support to him, and applaud their devotion to the nation. The primary objective of the planned protest as stated from the very beginning was to aggregate the voices of the people and present to leadership at all levels who may be unclear about the reality of the hardship faced by Nigerians.

“We have no doubt that we have articulated our demands and have been heard LOUD and CLEAR. We urge a quick and positive response from government and encourage Nigerians to take a cue from this experience and never hesitate to stand up to the leadership on any and every situation that requires action. 2baba will continue channel his passion for these issues using a range of effective channels in the future.

“He promises to continue working on avenues to help the Nigerian people be heard, he feels that is the least they deserve.”