The Nigerian Navy has debunked the reports that comedian, Abdulgafar AA, popularly known as Cute Abiola, is missing.
His family and associates had declared Cute Abiola, who is a Naval officer, missing, with many of his colleagues in the entertainment industry raising the alarm.
They suspected he was locked up by the Nigerian Navy after reporting to the office on Monday.
But in a statement by Suleman Dahun, spokesman of the Nigerian Navy, said the comedian is being detained for flouting the social media policy of the Armed Forces.
The statement read: “The attention of the Nigerian Navy has been drawn to an online story which claims a naval personnel, OSCOMP Abdulgafar AA, who incidentally is a popular comedian known as Cute Abiola, has gone missing. The Nigerian Navy wishes to categorically debunk this false news report currently trending online.
“OSCOMP Abdulgafar is currently under custody in his unit for breach the Armed Forces Social Media Policy and refusal to obey particular orders. The Nigerian Navy wishes to avail itself this incident to remind its personnel to comply with the provisions of the Armed Forces Social Media Policy in their usage of social medi platforms. The policy, amongst others, is emplaced to protect their personal safety and security as well as the information integrity of the activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
Earlier, the management of the Cute Abiola Entertainment Ltd had released a statement, saying, “Since he last communicated with wife and associates that he already got to the office, he has not returned to his family and no one has heard from him till this moment.
“Anxious about the Cute Abiola’s whereabouts, his wife and some of his associates visited his workplace today to make enquiry about his whereabouts. The officers at his office denied his wife and some of the associates who went there said no access to any information regarding him.
“It was subsequently gathered from a reliable source that he has been locked up in the Nigerian Navy cell since he got to the office yesterday morning till the time of posting this information without being fed and no date has been stated for his release from custody.
“The most frustrating part is that nobody is saying anything as to the offence he has committed, but that he’s been detained on an order from the Nigerian Navy Headquarters.
“This unfortunate situation has rendered his wife emotionally tortured and traumatised as the Cute Abiola is an ulcer patient. Hence not feeding an ulcer patient as punishment for an undisclosed offence is something to be worried about with a view to avoiding unnecessary circumstance with regards to the health of The Cute Abiola.
“This is a call for help on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Vice-President, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a well meaning Nigerians to please help us call the attention of the Nigerian Navy to release him as they have been unable to disclose the offence he committed to warrant the perpetual detention.”