2Baba explains whereabouts weeks after family declared him missing

Seven weeks after Nigerian music icon Innocent ‘2Baba’ Idibia was declared missing by his family, the singer has finally broken his silence, dispelling concerns about his safety and wellbeing.

2Baba appeared at comedian Acapella’s show ‘Two Kings & A Guy’ at Eko Hotel, Lagos, on Sunday. While performing, he addressed rumours surrounding his alleged disappearance.

“Okay, you know what’s happening—allegedly I have been missing, I have been kidnapped. As we came for Acapella’s show—this show is to generate money for the kidnappers to release,” he said humorously during the event.

His comments come after weeks of speculation, confusion, and concern surrounding his sudden absence from public life and social media, especially amid a very public marital fallout with Annie Macaulay and a surprising engagement to a new partner, Deputy Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Natasha Osawaru.

Missing Petition, Public Drama

On 14 February, PREMIUM TIMES reported that 2Baba’s family had filed a petition with the State Security Service (SSS), declaring the singer missing. The letter, signed by Wilson Anuge of Anuge, Anuge & Co., stated that 2Baba had not been seen or contacted since 10 February.

The petition said 2Baba left home in loungewear for a walk and never returned. With no contact and odd social media activity, his family feared abduction and urged the SSS to intervene, saying the ordeal had traumatised them and halted his career.

Before the petition, 2Baba had already made headlines for ending his marriage to Annie Idibia and proposing to Natasha Osawaru just 17 days later. A viral video showed him serenading Natasha and giving her a ring—similar to his 2012 proposal to Annie.

His mother, Rose Idibia, accused Natasha of putting a spell on him and begged her to let him go. Despite this, the couple appeared at public events, including Ita Giwa’s 79th birthday and a gathering at the Esama of Benin’s home. With no official statement about his condition, rumours of a secret wedding grew.

In March, Natasha referred to 2Baba as “hubby” in a viral Snapchat video while playfully applying makeup on him. More recently, the two were spotted holding hands at the Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal.

Annie’s Silence and Rebranding

Meanwhile, Annie maintained silence for weeks before re-emerging on 27 March with a thank-you post to her supporters. She rebranded herself as ‘Annie Uwana Macaulay,’ dropping the Idibia surname.

On Monday, she shared videos of herself looking healthy, using Naira Marley’s I’m Back as background music to reassure her fans. However, she hasn’t publicly stated about the situation since then.

Before their split, Annie and 2Baba’s relationship spanned more than two decades, beginning in 1999. Their love story became iconic, especially after her appearance in his African Queen video.

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They married in 2012 and held a star-studded wedding in Dubai the following year. Despite past turbulence—mainly due to 2Baba’s relationship with Pero Adeniyi, mother of three of his children—the couple renewed their vows in 2022 to mark their 10th anniversary.

Before 2Baba’s recent address of his ‘declared missing,’ neither the State Security Services nor the singer’s camp officially addressed the events surrounding his disappearance and abduction allegations.