News & Publications

By: Abdulbari Adam, Esq

Kizz Daniel, a Nigerian singer is reported to have been arrested in the early hours of Monday by the authorities in Tanzania, he is said to have breached an agreement to perform at a show as the headliner artist titled Summer Amplified concert slated for Sunday, August 7, 2022. Fans, enraged by his absence vandalized the venue of the show as seen in a trended video.

The singer’s arrest was as well captured in a video trending on social media; the singer was spotted wearing a hooded jacket at the time of the arrest by the Tanzanian Police.

Big Step Consultancy, the promoters of the show in a letter dated Monday 8 August 2022 released earlier apologized for the singer’s absence and further stated that the singer was fully paid in advance of the show.

The show organizer who identified himself as Steven Owa in an Instagram live convo with Daddy Freeze revealed the Summer Amplified concert as his first show in Tanzania (a new market). He added that he spent over $300,000 in preparations for the show and the least table for the show was slated for the sum of $5000 and $10,000 for a bigger table.

The singer was reported to have portrayed this same act of unprofessionalism in the United States, where he kept fans waiting for over 5 hours. The enraged fans when he eventually turned up screamed for a refund while booing the singer. He subsequently apologizes citing the delay in releasing his passport in Nigeria as the reason for his late appearance.

This act of unprofessionalism will not only affect the Summer Amplified concert, rather the entire future of the organizer’s company in Tanzania’s entertainment market. Details are still sketchy if the arrest was meant to protect him from being lynched by the mob or for indirectly causing public unrest.

Though the transaction between the singer and the organizers is a civil contract, however where an entertainer’s action or inaction causes public uproar, public unrest or incites a breach of the public peace, the entertainer would be held accountable for any damages, loss of property and lives from the outburst.

Presently, there are pending cases in Nigerian courts involving top Nigerian singers for breach of contract to perform in scheduled events despite receipt of full payment in advance. To deter this seeming negative trend, entertainers and performers must now be made responsible for the direct consequences of their actions, especially where their actions lead to an eruption of violence.  

Disclaimer: This news update is intended only to provide general information and does not by itself constitute or serve as legal advice. For further information, we are available to provide detailed legal advice. Contact us at info@asalawpractice.org or call 09084820000, 08067498777.