Segun Arinze Denies Stealing Song

Segun Arinze is known mostly for his talent as an actor. He has built a career for himself in the industry and was even the last president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN). Not many people know that the dark complexioned actor is also a very good musician. In fact, he was first a musician before going into acting. He was popular in the Lagos night scene where he performed at nightclubs.

As we speak, someone is opening an old wound. A lady named Marlene Meg Prescod (called Onyocha in her singing days), now based in London, is set to have a showdown with the actor. Her grouse is that Segun Arinze allegedly stole her song without giving her credit for it. The UK-based Nigerian said she was shocked when she saw a video of Segun Arinze performing her song on stage. She even sent Box Office a link of the video in which Segun Arinze was seen performing the song, ‘Love Me Tonight’, before an audience.

“I wrote this song in 1986 and here Segun Arinze performs it and gets all the credit as his original. Nigeria na wa. I hope he only performed it on stage and not recorded it,” she said.

When asked how she thought Segun Arinze got the song, Marlene said he must have retrieved it from a popular studio in Lagos where she has originally recorded the song. “I had a section at Kingsley Ogoro’s studio in Surulere, Lagos, when he (Segun Arinze) used to hang out there in the 80s. That was where he must have got the song,” she said.

When Box Office reached Arinze on phone, the actor sounded shocked. He said he does not know why Marlene is spreading false stories. He said the song is his own and that he wrote it for her.

“I wrote that song, it is mine. I gave her the song and she sang it in a reggae version. It was an awful song and she could not even release it. I wrote it in 1988. I was not even known as Segun Arinze then. I was still known as Segun Aina. I toned the song down and did a slow version of it. It was recorded at Ajaka Studio then. I think she is only trying to get cheap publicity,” the actor replied.

We also got across to the producer, Tunde Ajijedidun, who worked on the song over 20 years ago. He confirmed that Segun Arinze actually wrote the song in his presence, and it was during one of his recording sessions that Marlene came into the studio and Segun allowed her to do a version for herself.

Marlene, who is no longer in the music scene, says she is investigating how far the actor has gone with the song before taking legal action. Arinze has dismissed her threat, daring her to take whatever action she wants.

Daily Independent