Odogwu or Pretender? A Timeline of Burna Boy Scandals

Burna Boy // Image Credit: Amy Sussman /Getty Images.

Grammy Award-winning singer Burna Boy has been no stranger to scandals, with some of them seeming to directly contradict his stage persona and message.

There is something unique about the virality of scandals, about its tendency to explode and thrill. For better or worse, scandals are more interesting to explore and engage with when celebrities are involved, and really, is it a scandal if celebrities are not the central pieces of the play?

Since Burna Boy exploded onto the stage in the Nigerian music scene, he has not left it. His music and performances, which take obvious and direct inspiration from afrobeats legend Fela Kuti, helped him find his way into what some may refer to as the Big Three - a trio of Nigeria's biggest and most influential artists which many believe include him, Davido and Wizkid.

Burna Boy, an award-winning Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer has been found connected to a significant number of controversies over the years, enough that one can trace a pattern. And while he praises and portrays himself through his art as an activist: a musician who cries for social justice, an African giant, standing tall against adversities and corruption within Nigeria, we have seen that may not be the case away from the stage. It appears that what Burna Boy says and does are complete opposites.

Here is a timeline of selected controversies he has been caught in, from the most recent to the oldest.

Burna Boy // Image Credit: Jim Dyson /Getty Images.

June 2022

Burna Boy’s police escort was reported to have opened fire at unarmed civilians at a club in Victoria Island, Lagos. The Nigerian police have a lot of duties as one of the prime security forces, but none of those duties involve being private celebrity escorts.  According to the report published in The Guardian, Burna Boy had visited the club at about 4am and made multiple attempts to hit on a married woman. All his attempts were futile and had infuriated the woman’s husband, but Burna Boy was incessant. There was a tipping point which led to open fire and two civilians were hit, one in the thigh, the other in the head. The report said the popular musician laughed while his escort shot at these people.

December 2021

He had a social media altercation with a Popular Ghanaian musician, Shatta Wale. What started as social media banter became a finger-pointing contest. There was a call-out on rape that was deeply unsettling. For a topic so sensitive, both parties had no qualms accusing each other of being knowing perpetrators of sexual assault. The most unsettling thing was when the African Giant threw death threats at Shatta Wale during their social media feud. Some of the name-calling and threats were featured in Daily Trust.

November 2017

It was reported that Burna Boy was involved in the attack and robbery of another popular musician, Abiye Jumbo also known as Mr 2K at Eko Hotels and Suites. The report, according to Pulse NG, said that the popular musician and self acclaimed Pan African was arraigned in court for the criminal act of robbery on December 18, 2017. This was a few weeks after he had tried to evade the law.

December 2013

Another scandal he was caught in and for which he was even put behind bars was the incident that happened in the United Kingdom. According to The Net via Pulse NG, the singer was reported to have been part of a gang that stabbed someone in the United Kingdom. Following the incident, he was tried as a minor, sentenced to jail for eleven months and was put on parole for two months. He disregarded the parole and flew back to Nigeria after. Burna Boy is not a novice when it comes to evading the law.

Burna Boy // Image Credit: Bennett Raglin /Getty Images.

There are a lot of things to unpack in Burna Boy’s history with injustice and violence. One can only wonder why and how Nigerians ignore his misdeeds and still celebrate him. Yes, separate the artist from the art. And yes, his achievements with his music and the way he has contributed to raising the country's and, by extension, Africa's status on the global stage deserve accolades. But, should we completely turn a blind eye to his actions? Despite there being a pattern? And another thing about controversies, especially when they are true, is that they destroy one’s reputation. It is just really different when it comes to Burna Boy, at least for now.