Several mainsream Nigerian websites have confirmed that gunmen have kidnapped fast rising Nigerian singer, Gnewzy, in Delta State.
The singer was reportedly kidnapped on Eklat road in Ughelli while returning home from a performance on Monday morning.
The abductors are requesting a ransom of $200,000 (equivalent to over N220 million). Gnewzy, who recently signed with Eric Many Records in December 2023 and gained popularity with his hit single ‘Sneakers,’ was taken captive during the early hours of Monday.
According to a statement from the record label’s spokesperson, Adedayo Showemimo, Gnewzy was abducted shortly after his performance at a Homecoming concert held at Monaco nightclub in Ughelli, Delta State.
“It is with deep concern and grave distress that Eric Many Records announces the unfortunate incident involving our artiste Gnewzy. In the early hours of Monday, 29th April, Gnewzy was kidnapped in Ughelli, Delta State. His manager, Obas9ice, narrowly escaped the same ordeal on Eklat road in Ughelli,” it said.
The kidnappers reached out to Dilly Umenyiora, the CEO of the record label, through email, requesting a ransom.
The email read: ‘‘You have seven days to pay $200,000 for your artist Gnewzy, or we will send out his head. We will send you a mail in five days on location for dropoff, involve the police or mark the money, and he will be killed.”
In a Channels TV interview, Mr Umenyiora lamented the incident, saying he is at a crossroads.
“Paying the ransom is not even the issue. You know, when you sign an artiste, there are certain monies he is supposed to make for and with the record label as stated in the contract, and I don’t know if the money will be part of it.
