Big Brother Africa star, Tayo Faniran, has revealed that he never got the $350,000 rumoured to have been given to him by billionaire businessman, Ayiri Emami, when he left Big Brother Africa house in 2014.
The reality star disclosed this on his Instagram page on Thursday amid reports that he was gifted $350,000 by Emani
This came to many as a surprise as they thought he received the rumoured monetary gift from the billionaire businessman.
Recall that shortly after he was evicted from the house, it was widely reported that he was to get a huge sum of money from the billionaire businessman.
In his post shared on Thursday, Faniran disclosed that he never got the money.
He said: “This Davido’s trend just reminded me of how Nigerians wanted to donate money for me in 2014, but Ayiri ruined it for me with audio $350,000.”
In another post, Faniran thanked politician and actor, Desmond Elliot.
He said: “In many people’s books, he may have done something bad but I will always remember him for the good he once did to me.
“He started to raise funds for me after what you know who did to me in 2014 before Ayiri’s news of giving me $350,000 hit the net.
“Mumu me sef carry my big head go snap photo with am and 2baba, that was how my fans concluded that I got paid.
“Fast forward to 2019, I ran into Ayiri at Quilox, I say make I greet am, oh boy if you see how baba strong face for me like say I still won remind am of the money, but baba forget say he use me blow that year #Godiswatching.”
Faniran’s post elicited mixed reactions with some people expressing shock, while others, including persons Tayo claims to be Ayiri’s Personal Assistants, attacked him, saying Emami never promised to give him money.
Responding to the attacks, Faniran in the videos asked why Emami never came out to debunk the news that he gave him money after leaving the reality TV show.
According to him, if there was bad news about the businessman, he would have come out to debunk it, but because he enjoyed the fame that came with the news, he allowed the news to fly.
He said: If there was a news out that Chief Ayiri Emami was a murderer, wouldn’t he have come out to debunk it? You don’t have press people? What are you talking about?
“So I should just keep quiet and let it go down on record that Ayiri gave me money?”
Faniran said he never posted that Emami gave him money.
According to him, he was still in South Africa with the other housemates when they came to congratulate him after they heard the rumour that he was to receive $350,000.
He said: “Everybody kept on telling me ‘Yea go collect your money. I got to Nigeria, we met up We took photos.
“Who made the pictures to hit the net if you are talking about not extorting my fame.
“If you are talking about not taking advantage of my fame and hype that I had at that time.
“You think it’s easy to go for Big Brother Africa?
“I go to everywhere in the world and people still believe that I got the money and you believe one day it’s not going to come out one way or the other? I was just debunking a rumor and this is the time that it came to my mind to do it.”
