For over a year now Babatunde Omidina, otherwise known as Baba Suwe, has disappeared from the screen, a development which has made many of his fans to wonder where their beloved comedian is. Soon, the news in town is that he had been arrested and jailed in London for alleged drug offences.

But could this be true? It is not impossible going by the recent arrest of one of the popular Yoruba actresses, Taiwo Akinwande, popular called Wunmi, it is difficult to take such a news with a pinch of the salt. Hazeez Balogun and Oseyiza Oogbodo therefore went on his trail. They got him at last. And here is their encounter with the commedy merchant. Excerpts:

It's been a long time we last saw you in the movies. What's been happening to you?
I like your question, and I am very grateful to God.

This work I'm into is a very tough one. In a period of one year, I may travel out of the country twice, but this days, I haven't been travelling out. At least, this year, I haven't travelled out for once.

You see, what I know is that some people can do anything because of money. Atimes when people want to invite me to play a role in a movie, and they meet some people they would tell tem, “Ehn! You want to use Baba Suwe? He will collect all your money.

You won't have any left to do your work.” They were doing this underground. But I've always told them that anything good is often achieved with money.
I always tell them that I am the people's choice, I am a pioneer, I am everything, everyone should keep saying whatever they like about me, it doesn't bother me. When you are good at what you are doing, you shouldn't wait till people tell you that you're no longer hot.

Whenever I am going around in town, many people ask me Why they'd not been seeing me in movies for some time now, they ask me if anything was wrong. I can tell you right now that you will soon begin to see me again.

There are some work that I've done that will soon start coming out again. When you're not in hot demand, you have to sit down and ask yourself the next step in order to come out in a big way; you have to go back to the drawing board and map out your plans.

That is what I've been doing. When I come out people will realise that I'm a comedian that can't be pushed aside; that I know what I'm doing. Talking about comedy, I know what I'm doing. I know about comedy.

Anyone who says his work is good should go to Idumota to know his fate. If you have fans, you will know. When you go out or you travel out, you will get to find out how much people adore you. I know that people like me, and need me, and I know that very soon, they will start seeing my movies again.

It may not be like before. It may take a year before I release another movie once I release one.
The story in town is that you are sick and that you were involved in something shady.

At least you've seen me now. I am the one you met, not my elder brother or younger brother. You didn't meet me covered with a clothes, or lying down sick in a corner, or even overcome with cold. You met me hale and hearty.

There is a season for everything. If things want to take a turn for the worse slightly, it is only normal for me to tell myself that this isn't the way things used to be.

God should be with us. Like my office here, if you came at a certain time in the past, you might not see me because you would meet different sorts of people all wanting to see me. This time though, you came and saw me easily.

It is God's wish. If God so wishes again, he'll reverse things again to the way they were before.

I didn't smuggle cocaine. That they've imprisoned me here or there is all rumours. The little money I see from the CDS our people buy is enough for me.

I'm not rich but I'm not poor. My prayer is that God should always provide for us, and not let suffering be our portion. Since I've been travelling worldwide, I've never been stopped at any point of entry.

If the story in town is true, I would not be here. I pass through Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and the officials just greet me and joke with me warmly.

It's quite possible that someone amongst them called me into his office and inspected me with the camera or an X-ray device installed there. But when the camera sees nothing hidden on me, they tell me to go, as I don't go beyond my limits.

Are you saying that you've never had a problem with the police in London?
I've never had a problem with the police in London. Continued    Source: nigeriafilms.com - Nigeria Films