Veteran musician, Bongos Ikwue, who is famous for his hit evergreen songs, ‘Still Searching’ and ‘Cock Crow at Dawn’ has denied ever having an affair with the wife Maryam, the late wife of former military President Ibrahim Babangida.
In fact, Ikwue says he only saw her once in her lifetime.
Speaking on a Channels Television programme on Wednesday, Bongos Ikwue, now 76, said contrary to rumors that he dated and even married Maryam Babangida before she eventually married General Babangida, he only met the former First Lady once.
“I am always amused when people say I sang the song ‘Mariama’ due to my relationship with Maryam (Babangida). It is a false speculation. I wrote the song without anyone in mind. I only saw Mrs Maryam Babangida once in her lifetime. I never dated her, not to talk of marrying her. I don’t know where those who were behind the story got it from.”
Ikwue said he met Mrs Maryam Babangida when he was invited by the former president to perform at an important function in Abuja.
He added that though he felt uneasy over the report of his non-existent marriage to the woman, which he said he heard many times, after he performed at the event, the former president and his wife exchanged pleasantries with him. He added that that was the first time he ever saw Mrs Babangida.
On his evergreen songs, including Cock Crow At Dawn, Mariama, Still Searching, Amen, among others, Ikwe, a native of Otukpo in Benue State, said he was paid handsomely by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) for singing the theme song of the ‘Cock Crow At Dawn’ a soap opera of the television station in the 1980s.
He added that he will still smiling to the bank from royalty of the other songs, but added that he no longer sings at occasions due to an undisclosed ailment he suffered recently.