While most homes get decorated with festive ornaments in anticipation of Christmas, long faces and gloomy atmosphere pervades the abode of acclaimed fuji maestro King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal. Things have fallen apart and the whole family is in disarray following the shocking arrest of his son Omogbadebo Anifowoshe in connection with a $2 million fraud allegedly perpetrated in the United States.
K1 and son
Popularly known as Ayinde in honour of his father, Omogbadebo is one of 9 people who were this month brought before a US District Court in Chicago on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are alleged to have roped in and defrauded numerous victims through various schemes including “romance scams” and “mystery shopper” schemes.
The alleged online fraud ring was busted after an investigation involving the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ably assisted by our very own Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Most of the accused including Omogbadebo were picked up in the Chicago area and each of them is facing up to 20 years in prison under US law if convicted.
Sources close to the acclaimed King of Fujj disclosed to TheLagosTimes that news of his son’s arrest has reverberated through the home of KWAM 1 like an unexpected thunderclap, shaking the man and his family to the core. The veteran musician is said to be lamenting how his beloved son whom he had showered with so much love in abundance could descend to the level of associating with scam artists and shaming the family in the process.
Although details of what happens next are still sketchy, it is expected that the family would not abandon the prodigal son to his fate but hire the best lawyers money can buy to plead his case. Even though his snow-white reputation has been dragged through the mud by the shameful antics of a wayward son, KWAM 1 will still refuse to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Meanwhile, in a statement made available by K1’s publicist, Kunle Rasheed, the fuji king who confirmed the incident to be true maintains that there is likely a mix-up.
The statement revealed that Sultan has been released on bail and awaiting a court date.
“Our attention has been drawn to the news circulating that Sultan, K1’s son was arrested alongside five other people in the US over Two million Dollars fraud.
“There is no doubt that he was among those that were arrested but what is however not true is that he is a fraudster. We can confidently say that he was not in anyway involved in the crime, which explains the reason why he was the only person that was released on bail.
“At present, Sultan is back at home waiting for the next date of the case where we believe he will be set free eventually”, the statement reads.
