Why I dragged owners of Ebony Life Television to court – Kannywood singer, Naziru M. Ahmad

About 10 years ago, the name Naziru M. Ahmad was virtually unknown within the modern Hausa Music Community, but all of a sudden, Naziru who is a junior brother to Musba’u M. Ahmad who is also a modern Hausa Music singer, film actor and director has emerged from nowhere and is now the richest Musician within the Hausa Music Community.

The tall lanky Naziru Ahmad who is from Kano State is not only rich but is highly successful in order areas of life and has chains of Kannywood women hanging around him for his attention. Either for a relationship or for a contract to feature as a background vocalist in his series of music projects or to feature in a film that Naziru has a hand, the famous Kannywood director and producer Alhaji Aminu Saira is also Naziru Ahmad’s half-brother and he directs most of Naziru’s musical projects.

READ ALSO: My film “The Right One” will cost me N35 million – Kannywood producer, Bashir Abubakar Maishadda

Naziru who recently moved into his multi-million naira house has chains of cars on his fleet, in fact, sources have it that, his Benz GLK model which he sold recently to Chief Executive Officer of Rite Time Media Alhaji Sani Sule Katsina for N10 million naira is one of the cheapest cars on his fleet. The way Naziru Ahmad was described by others as rich and arrogant made him become famous overnight and has become a subject of speculation within the Kannywood industry in the North. He does not only use expensive cars, expensive dresses and built a multi-million naira house, even all his wristwatches which are of different design are mostly solid gold, they are mostly ROLEX products.

He equally has access to prominent Nigerians like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Ramalan Yero and former Commerce and Industry Minister during Shagari’s tenure Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf Sardaunan Dutse who remains one of the most powerful politicians within the Kano and Jigawa axis. Maitama was made minister at the age of less than 30 immediately he finished his National Youth Service and became powerful because his ministry was in charge of import license during Shagari’s government.

When Naziru Ahmad hit the music scene with his style of music, they are mostly composed after powerful politicians or individuals, he composed different songs for Sardaunan Dutse, Alhaji Bello Maitama Sule, in fact, she shot the video of most of the songs he composed for Maitama in Maitama’s multi-million naira house in Hotoro Quarters of Kano Metropolis. Naziru Ahmad and his backup singers were allowed access to all parts of the house including the private bedrooms of the former minister to shoot their music video which was somehow aimed at displaying the riches of the Sardaunan Dutse because it shows varieties of expensive cars he has on his fleet, his chains of dresses and the beauty of his compound.

Recently, Naziru Ahmad has dragged Ebony Life Television demanding for N100 million naira because according to him, they used his music “BINCIKE” as background music in series of film they produced called “SON OF THE CALIPHATE”, the film which is more of a documentary about the life and leaders of the famous “DAN FODIO DYNASTY” was said to have been sponsored by powerful and rich princes from Sokoto Caliphate to bring to the fore some unwritten and undocumented history of Sokoto Caliphate. The film featured most of Kannywood prominent stars like Rahama Sadau and Yakubu Muhammad.

Neptune Prime’s Kano correspondent, Saleh Inuwa decided to interview Naziru Ahmad on why he decided to sue Ebony life television, his challenges in life, educational background, how he made his money and how some beautiful women from Kannywood and outside Kannywood are dying to have his number or attention.

EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW

Neptune Prime: Who is Naziru Ahmad and how did you make your money?

Naziru: Well, my name is Naziru M. Ahmad king of modern Hausa Music. The truth of the matter is, I am ahead of others in terms of qualitative modern Hausa music either for entertainment or for traditional institutions. I am from Kano State, I attended both my primary and secondary schools in Kano before becoming a full-time musician, Musba’u M. Ahmad, the popular Hausa modern musician and producer is my brother, same mother same father, and Mallam Aminu Saira who directs most of my song is my half-brother. My style of music is different from other musicians, I try to blend traditional songs with modern music that is why most of my music are not for wedding ceremonies. I tried to go traditional and some of the music that made me popular include: My songs which are many and in different varieties for Sardaunan Kano, Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf, the song I composed for former vice president Atiku Abubakar, the one I did for Former Governor of Kaduna State Alhaji Ramalan Yero and that of the deposed Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sunusi Lamido Sunusi II, when he was appointed as Dan Majen Kano and when he was finally turbaned as Emir of Kano.

NP: You have chains of expensive cars on your fleet, you also commission your multi-million naira house recently and the way you dress even your wristwatches with you are solid gold mostly from “ROLEX” product, tell us how you made your money?

Naziru: You see, at a point in my life, I had to compose a special song in which I was telling all those that are ready to listen how I made my money. As long as nobody has yet accused Naziru of money laundering, or betraying anybody in a business deal or been involved in morally corrupt activities, I have no apology to anybody over how I made my money. That is why in the song, which I composed when speculations became too much over how I made my money, in the lyrics of the song I was trying to explain to those who don’t wish me well that Naziru is not a thief, Naziru does not engage himself in illegal business or other morally corrupt vices to make money, so my money was legally made through hard work.

NP: What actually is your relationship with Sardaunan Dutse, Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf, because you are not only passionate about him in your songs, you personally shot most of your music videos in his house?

Naziru: People have role models in life or those they cherished their way of life. As a musician, I have role models and I am sure as a journalist too, you have people you respect in your profession. Sardaunan Dutse is one individual I have come to respect and admire in life, that is why I dedicated many of my songs to him and he too out of appreciation, has assisted me to become what I am. There are other powerful individuals that one way or the other contributed to my success in life, as such, I remain grateful to them, there is nothing I will ask from Bello Maitama Yusuf that he will not oblige me including shooting my musical video right inside his house. Most of the traditional wears we used in some of our music were provided to us by him, in fact, he is one individual that has the passion of helping the less privileged or people from other sectors of life, so I remain grateful to him. In fact, people were asking me how much I made from my songs which I dedicated to him or the songs I dedicated to the deposed Emir of Kano, to former Governor of Kaduna State, to former vice president Atiku Abubakar and to Sardaunan Goron Maye, but I composed most of my songs out of interest while some where done on contract basis. As such, you will discover that some of those I composed songs for out of appreciation gave me money in millions, an assorted brand of cars and other gifts, it is out of all these gestures that I made my money which does not go down with some people and since they can do nothing about it, they decided to settle for speculations but in some of my music, I also reply them.

NP: In the song, you composed to reply to the people who are speculating about how you made your money, an A grade actress in Kannywood Hadiza Aliyu Gabon was your background vocalist, but the video was shot in such a way that people started speculating whether you and Gabon are dating?

Naziru: I heard of that before, the truth is I am close to most of Kannywood stakeholders, directors, singers, and actors and actress in Kannywood, and Hadiza Gabon is not an exception. We respect each other and she is very close to me like other female actresses in Kannywood. If you watched my music video which I dedicated to the present Emir of Kano, you will discover that I featured Jamila Nagudu, Fati Washa, Hadiza Gabon, Nafisa Abdullahi and many popular female actresses as my background singers, people also are of opinion that I like women. But on a lighter note, a man of my age, I am tall, handsome, rich, and have all the necessities of life, women will definitely hang around me but I am happily married for your information. I have four wives and children and I don’t play around, that means there is no vacancy for any lady in my life, but this is one of the reasons why people are saying I am arrogant and pompous, you have been trying to interview me for the past two years, but it is today that God made it possible for us to have the interview, I am very busy and always travelling.

NP: Let us come to why I actually looked for you to have this interview, is true that you are suing, ebony life television for piracy?

Naziru: Piracy shouldn’t be encouraged or condole, it is close to a crime, I am suing Ebony Life Television, for a hundred million naira damages because they used my song “BINCIKE” as background music in their television series, “SON OF THE CALIPHATE Season One” without my permission. My lawyers have since written to them but they refused to contact us for settlement. That is why we have taken them to court, you see they thought that we in the north don’t know our right or that we don’t watch television or read newspapers. These days, everybody is educated and know his right as such, I have sued them to pay me N100 million as damages for using my song without permission but if they are ready to pay, substantial amount to me, we can settle out of court.

NP: You are rich and handsome, but the way you dress especially the way you use long cap without properly folding them into good shape, is making some people hate you, is that your style?

Naziru: Yes, it is because of that, people notice me easily and those who admire me are also using the type of dresses I used or the cap I wear. If you have been watching my video, you will discover that I am a traditional person, I composed songs that touch on what happened in our society, I am free to dress the way I like because we are in a free society.