Wasiu Ayinde, the renowned Yoruba Fuji artist also known as KWAM or K1 De Ultimate, has responded to accusations from band members, including Ayankunle Ayanlowo, who have alleged mistreatment akin to slavery.
In a recent interview, KWAM1 refuted these claims, suggesting that the accusers were attempting to tarnish his reputation.
Ayankunle had previously described his tenure with KWAM1 as oppressive, likening it to a master-slave dynamic, and accused the musician of confiscating passports during travels.
KWAM1 clarified that Ayankunle’s passport issues stemmed from an incident in England where he overstayed his visa and attempted to alter his passport details at the British embassy, leading to its confiscation by British authorities.
“Ayankunle and two others ran away from the band in England with their passports. And we returned to Nigeria. That was in the 90s. After he ran away, information reaching us indicated that in the course of him overstaying, he gave his passport to someone to come and present it at the British embassy. As of that time, they were not stamping visas on passport leaflets. The person successfully had his details changed to his while he maintained Ayankunle’s passport.
“On scrutiny, the embassy detected and withheld the passport. Ayankunle’s passport is at the British High Commission. This is someone who can barely read or write, and I facilitated a passport for him. I’m not the one who collected his passport. He has run away with it. How come the same passport is with me?” KWAM 1 queried.
Addressing another band member’s claim of passport withholding, KWAM1 explained that all members had their passports when they returned to Nigeria, and any retention of passports would have raised concerns with immigration authorities.
“Is it possible for them to return to Nigeria without their passports? Of course, they all have their passports. If I had withheld their passports, Immigration or Customs would have questioned what I was doing with such a number of passports.
“When I saw that their problems were becoming too much for me, I disbanded them and then regrouped again with new members. After them, another set of people has run away. It’s a common thing with band members,” he added.
KWAM1 also defended his treatment of band members, highlighting his efforts to listen and assist them with personal challenges, such as intervening in a case where a band member faced the demolition of his property.
“I told him that only his house cannot be put up for demolition. Although I could easily ask Governor Seyi Makinde but he was sure that many houses would have been marked too for the benefits of the residents of the state. So it was easier to just help him with whatever he could provide and the support of others,” he maintained.
KWAM1 emphasized that he has always acted justly towards his band members and remains attentive to their needs and concerns
