Femi Kuti, the son of late Afrobeats legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has clarified his participation in the 2012 fuel subsidy removal protest otherwise known as Occupy Nigeria.
According to Kuti, he innocently joined the protest because he thought it was a genuine cause aimed at addressing the plight of Nigerians regarding the high cost of fuel at the time.
The 59-year-old said he soon pulled out of the exercise after discovering that it was politically motivated.
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“I want to state for clarity and posterity my role in the Ojota protest. I was invited for what I and many believed was a genuine cause regarding the cost of fuel.
“As soon as I found out it was politically motivated I pulled out. I got a lot of backlash at the time but stood my ground.
“For the record, I have never and will never affiliate with any political party that I don’t feel has the genuine interest of the people of Nigeria at heart,” Kuti tweeted on Friday.
Occupy Nigeria held simultaneously in major cities of the country, including Kano, Lagos, Abuja, Minna, and at the Nigerian High Commission in London.
At least sixteen persons died during protests that held from January 2nd to January 14th, 2012.