A young woman at the centre of the brawl between security operatives attached to popular afrobeat singer, Damini Ogulu, alias Burna Boy and some fun seekers at Club Cubana on Victoria Island, Lagos, has said she is still traumatised by the incident.
The unrest started when the singer and five police escorts visited the nightclub around 4 am on June 8.
According to eyewitness accounts, Burna Boy was in the VIP section with three women when he spotted another woman among a group of fun-seekers.
He was said to have instructed Ibrahim to invite the woman to join him. However, the lady’s husband lambasted the singer for making a move on his wife.
A few minutes later, Burna Boy approached the woman and this reportedly enraged her husband further and his friends who had gathered at the club.
Angered, Ibrahim pulled a pistol and shot at two members of the group. Burna Boy was allegedly laughing while the incident occurred and immediately left for Spain.
In a post on her Instagram story on Sunday, the woman in question, nemebriella_ said she is still traumatised by the incident.
While narrating all that happened, she said they had come to Nigeria from America and London, UK to attend a friend’s wedding and were having the after-party at the club.
She said efforts to calm the situation proved abortive as the musician kept signalling his officers to shoot.
According to her, the officers kept shooting at other people who were scampering to safety.
She said when she eventually got outside, the officer who had earlier approached her, mocked her and made an attempt to pull out a gun but she was saved by her friends.
@nemabrielle_ condemned efforts by the club management to sweep the matter under the carpet, noting that there is no CCTV footage from the club nor is there any statement to address the issue.
She wrote, “After taking time out to heal and process the events that occurred between my partner, my best friend & her husband and @burnaboygram at @cubanagroup @cubanalagos night club in Victoria Island Lagos
“We were visiting Nigeria from America and London for our childhood friend’s wedding.
“On the 8th of June 2022, @burnaboygram & his friends opened fire at us in @cubanalagos. My partner and his friend were shot, with both needing urgent medical care.
A bullet grazed my partner’s head and our friend was shot in the thigh, leaving him hospitalised and needing an emergency surgery in NIGERIA.
“Around 3 am, I went to the Cubana club with some of my friends. We were there for a couple of hours celebrating the newly weds, we were about twenty at the club and we were having a nice time in the VIP section.
“We were laughing, drinking and having a good time.
“Burna Boy and his friends came in. We were still there, having fun. As the night progressed, one of Burna Boy’s friends walked to talk to me, his request was for Burna Boy to talk to me.
“On that first attempt, I told him I wasn’t interested in talking to Burna Boy and I am married to my partner. He came again the second time and was met with the same response, he came the third time and that caused a few of our friends to flare up as they asked why he kept coming to disturb me. There were words back and forth and one of Burna Boy’s friends attacked one of our friends, and as they attacked him the situation degenerated into a fight.
“As the first fight started the security at Cubana stepped in and were able to calm the situation, as that happened everybody was slowly going back to their section when two of burna boys friends another fight started and the security at Cubana jumped in again.
“As they were fighting, Burna boy’s friends started shooting after what looked like a signal from Burna boy. At this point the club was in chaos, everyone was screaming and trying to vacate the premises.
“At this point I couldn’t find my partner or My best friend. I was screaming for help after being lifted and thrown so hard on the floor by one of Burna’s friends and I hurt my left shoulder.
“All our private police officers were not allowed into the club, so it was left to us to fight for our lives.
“One of our friends @theflowolf was trying to get Burna boy to calm the situation but he only laughed at him and proceeded to get in his car whilst being protected by his security.
“The shootings happened twice at different times. His friends were also shooting at people trying to evacuate the club through the main entrance. They were out to kill and didn’t care who got hit.
“My partner’s head was bleeding profusely and his friend lost so much blood he needed a donor As soon as he got to the hospital. @burnaboygram left @cubanalagos without a scratch and flew out to Spain the next Morning. @obi_cubana only reached out to us 4 DAYS after the event claiming he had no idea and would do everything to get us justice for attempted murder.
“11 days later, there has been no CCTV footage released by the club OR even a statement to address the incident publicly. Business has carried on as usual for him.
“Even after leaving the club to safety outside, or at least I thought I was safe. The same man that initially approached me on behalf of Burna boy saw me and said ‘oh you’re the one that was doing shakara Abi’, then reached into his bottoms to get something resembling a gun. Luckily at this point, my friends found me and pulled me away just in time. He retracted and got into a car and left.
“To sum things up I’M TRAUMATISED. I’ve broken down everyday since then. The random flashbacks and nightmares. Especially after seeing @burnaboygram response. The lack of remorse or accountability is beyond me. At least 2 people could’ve died that night.”
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
