Obianuju Catherine Udeh, with the stage name, DJ Switch has debunked rumours about her seeking asylum in Canada. The professional disk jockey made the revelation on her social media handle last week.
I am sure we call that DJ Switch played a very pivotal role during the world famous #ENDSARS protests in October 2020, as she was responsible for a live Instagram video coverage of the lekki shootings that later went viral. Her video was one that provided a first-hand witness of the event as it unfolded.
Reports from various media outlets revealed that the streetlights and security cameras at the Lekki tollgate were switched off at about the time when military personnels arrived and began shooting at unarmed protesters.
DJ Switch’s action has since placed her in a vulnerable position as she claimed to have received death threats over her involvement during the #EndSARS protest and this gave rise to speculations about her seeking Canadian asylum.
However, in a recent Instagram story, she addressed these rumours, claiming that she never left the country. In the post, she revealed that the rumours were the handwork of some news outlets and bloggers who are hungry for traffic and would not base their reports on credible investigation. She further revealed that she would be travelling out of the country but not to Canada.
“But let me say this…news outlets and bloggers, I know traffic is the game but when you don’t really investigate properly and run with things you don’t know for sure and have verified, you sincerely hurt and in some cases cause serious complications for people in real life”.
“I’ve been cooked up in a house for months. I never got asylum to Canada, I did not step foot in Canada. I didn’t even speak to anyone who claimed they spoke to me on the issue”, She wrote on her Instagram story.
It should also be recalled that a petition was written to the Canadian parliament to deny DJ Switch asylum in the country. The petition was initiated by Femi Fako, titled, “Refuse the Canadian Asylum application of Ms. Obianuju Udeh and her associates now!, Reject the asylum applications now! They must come back to Nigeria to face terrorist charges. It’s a must!” and it was signed by more than 900 people mainly from a Nigerian ethnic group.
The fact remains that since the Lekki toll gate incidence, DJ Switch’s life is still being threatened, by some disgruntled elements whose best kept secrets were blown open in an unequivocal manner, no matter how subtle it might seem. Hence, travelling out of the country might be safe for her.
