Popular Yoruba sports presenter, Babatunde Saheed, widely known as Mr. Sports, has narrated how his relationship with Ibadan-based Fuji star, Taye Akande Currency, nearly cost him his career and reputation.
Mr. Sports, who spoke during an interview on Agbaletu TV hosted by Dele Adeyanju, said his long-standing respect for the Fuji musician turned sour after a series of alleged betrayals, ranging from financial disputes to blackmail.
Recounting his ordeal, the broadcaster alleged that in 2012, he paid Taye Currency for a show involving Alhaji Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, only for Currency to abscond with the money despite knowing the event would not hold.
“In 2012, I paid him money for a show with Pasuma. He collected the money even though he knew Pasuma wouldn’t show up. That issue even led to a fight between him and Pasuma. Till today, he has not refunded the money,” Mr. Sports alleged.
According to him, the problem escalated in 2019 when Taye Currency turned 45 and allegedly convinced him to organize a birthday celebration, similar to what he had successfully done for Pasuma at 50.
“I gave him N1 million, rented the Hall of Grace at Jogor Centre, paid for adverts, organized a novelty match, bought jerseys, paid for celebrities’ hotel accommodation, and even provided Ankara fabrics. In all, I spent over N5 million.
“Our agreement was to share the proceeds 60–40, but on the day of the event, he went home with everything, including money given to him on stage by Governor Seyi Makinde.
“He also undercut my cloth sales by selling the same Ankara at half the price,” he lamented.
Mr. Sports further recounted how Taye Currency allegedly abandoned him during his 2023 encounter with the EFCC and later blackmailed him before a client.
“When I was in EFCC detention for four days, I asked him to buy my land to help me raise funds. He mocked me, saying I should meet Pasuma instead. That was his second betrayal.
“The third was when he blackmailed me to an Ivorian singer who was processing Hajj through me. He told the man I was not trustworthy, almost making him cancel after paying. It was only in Mecca that the man realized I was not who Taye painted me to be,” he said.
The sports presenter insisted that his revelations were not out of malice but as a warning to others in the entertainment industry.
“What Taye Currency did to me, if not for God, could have ended my career. I’m not rich, but I do this for the love of the industry.
“If he feels I’m lying, he should come out and debunk it. He never refunded my money, and I have moved on, but it will never happen again,” Mr. Sports declared.
He added that his recent promotion of other artistes, including Tiri Leather, has nothing to do with his fallout with Taye Currency, stressing that he remains committed to supporting musicians across the industry.