Singer Oritsefemi Majemite-Ekele, otherwise called Oritsefemi, has denied stabbing a bouncer at a popular night club in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Oritsefemi, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, confirmed that an incident did take place last Friday night at the Quilox Night Club, a plush celebrity hangout, as widely reported in the social media.
But the singer, who spoke from Premier Specialist Hospital, Victoria Island, where he has been receiving treatment after he was allegedly beaten up by bouncers at the night club, said it was not true that he assaulted one of them.
“God is my witness. I did not stab any bouncer at Quilox Night Club. Those who know me will tell you that I am not a violent person and I have never been involved in any fracas in my life. What happened at the club was just an accident,” he said.
Admitting that he had an argument with a bouncer after his friends were denied entry into the VIP section of the night club, Oritsefemi said that he did not cut the man’s face with a broken glass as reported.
Recounting what transpired between him and the bouncer, he said, “During the argument, the bouncer suddenly pushed me and I lost balance. In anger, I wanted to pour my glass of wine on his face. As I tried to empty the content of the glass on him, he charged at me and the glass broke on his face, injuring him. I did not stab him. I have never stabbed anybody in my life.”
The artiste also said that while he was apologising to the bouncer, the other bouncers at the club descended on him and, without asking questions, beat him up.
Immediately after the incident, the news had gone viral on the Internet, with many reports indicating that Oritsefemi had been involved in a brawl with the injured bouncer. But the singer’s management team, MSN Gang, in an attempt to clear his name of wrongdoing, issued a public statement on social media explaining his role in the incident.
The statement claimed that Oritsefemi was attacked at the club because he dared to interfere when fellow artistes, Sound Sultan and Rock Steady, were prevented by a bouncer from entering the VIP section.
Reacting to this, the management of the club insisted that the singer was the aggressor in the entire episode. In a statement, it said that Oritsefemi had attempted to “sit eight of his friends” at a table that was already booked by a patron of the club. Annoyed, the latter had invited a bouncer who then approached and politely informed the singer that the patron’s guests were being expected.
Describing what happened next, the statement said, “Oritsefemi, in a fit of unprovoked rage, slapped the bouncer and then, breaking a glass in his hand, stabbed him in the eye.”
But, during the interview with Punch correspondent, Oritsefemi dismissed the statement as untrue.
The singer has, however, apologised to the owner of the club, Shina Peller, describing the incident as unfortunate.
