In the aftermath of what seems like a successful concert in Uganda, Omah Lay and Tems were arrested for breaching the Covid-19 lockdown rules in Uganda. The incident has sparked outrage among Nigerians on social media. As a result, many have visited the Instagram page of Ugandan starlet Cindy Sanyu in wrath after a video surfaced online where Cindy was speaking in what appears to be in support of the arrest of the Nigerian artistes who were invited to Uganda to perform.
The pair were arrested on Sunday, December 13, and were on Monday remanded in prison for flouting COVID-19 guidelines in Uganda together with their managers for allegedly holding an illegal concert at The Big Brunch, which was held at Speke Resort, Wavamunno Rd, Kampala, Uganda with large crowds while the country was in lockdown.
In support of the action taken by the Ugandan Police Force, Cindy Sanyu recorded a video in her car explaining that her colleagues were starving, sick and got broke amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
“I feel it because I am a fellow artiste. So in all our silence a foreigner had a concert in this country and actually got… (laughs) and threw up a concert where there was no social distancing, there were no mask and this idiot even posted it online and was very proud about the fact that he had a successful concert in Uganda.”
In her video, she iterated that she and her fellow Ugandan musicians have remained calm, obeying the strict COVID-19 rules, even though the government had compensated some sectors, but they have been ignored the most and yet to receive assistant since President Yoweri Museveni banned all music concerts, and closed bars.
The singer then called the Nigerian artiste an ‘idiot’ for posting about how successful the concert in Uganda was with fans going mask free and not observing social distancing at the event.
“What is funny is that if we complain about it, anything that the government puts on us and we say anything about it, we are branded, hooligan. I don’t agree with this, it is not fair, it is not right by any standard.” She said.
According to the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Federal Government of Nigeria is making efforts to get detained Nigerian singers, Omah Lay and Tems, freed in Uganda, both were arrested after their performances.
Dabiri-Erewa made this known in a tweet on Monday.
Fast-rising singer Omah Lay earlier took to his social media account to cry out over his arrest in Uganda with his colleague, Tems.
In a series of tweets, Omah Lay wrote: “I’m in cuffs in Uganda right now with Tems. I am just a singer trying to entertain, why am I being set up in Uganda? I did not organize a show, I came on stage and saw teeming fans and sang to them…Why am I being detained?
“Why am I not been given a right to a fair hearing? Why is Uganda not letting @NigeriaMFA step into this? They have been trying to secure our release to no avail. Is there something bigger at play in Uganda? Why do I have to take the fall for it???”
Omah Lay and Tems will remain in different prisons till Wednesday, December 16, following their arraignment before the Makindye Division court in Kampala on Monday.