Kofi Okyere Darko might not be hosting the breakfast show on Radio Gold for a while and the reasons are as shocking as they are revealing. Last Saturday night, KOD wanted to hang out. After checking out a few happening places, he went over to the ‘OFFICE’ pub on the Switchback Road to meet with a few friends. On any other night, Kofi would have driven in the yard housing Accra’s hottest strip club and pub and be greeted with brotherly handshakes and hugs. He did get some of that love though but it was very short lived. He didn’t even get to shoot anything or schmooze with the ladies.
He was about to leave when the manager of Cinderella’s, Kiki Banson asked him to come along and they both went over to Kiki’s car to sample Hugh Masakela’s new single.
“I didn’t want to because I was wearing flip flops,” KOD told JIVE. “But he thought I was too worried about my outfit so I obliged.” Now, he wishes he hadn’t because it was at this point that his problems began.
“We stepped out of the place later to listen to Hugh’s new song in Kiki’s car and a little after, Halim Banda (son of the shipping magnate, Asuma Banda) showed up and got into an argument with Kiki over a matter I had no idea about and wasn’t remotely connected to.”
Halim then allegedly turned his fury on KOD, and whipped out a semi automatic pistol and, according to eyewitness, bitched-slapped Kofi around till he blacked out. Halim wasn’t finished though. He then held Kofi in a chokehold and put his gun to KOD’s neck screaming death threats at him.
“The whole time this guy was hyperventilating. He just turned on me for no reason, so I was like ‘Listen I don’t even know you and besides I have nothing to do with this situation you have with Kiki.’ He pulled out the gun and started firing into the air and started hitting me in the face repeatedly with the gun. Next thing I remember was on the ground. My head cleared and he still had arms around my neck. He then dared me to get off the ground if I thought I was man enough. The whole time this was going on I was just calm and that pissed him off so he just strangled me more. He then got into his car and sped off almost running me over.”
Kofi survived the horrid experience with bleeding gums, swollen jaws and whiplash.
Kiki Banson told his story in a phone interview with obvious tension in his voice and sounding very shaken.
“Halim showed up and just started threatening to kill us,” he said. “I thought it was unusual because if he had a problem with me, KOD had nothing to do it. It was a really bad scene that could have easily ended horribly. We decided to leave and as I walked to my car he walked over, still threatening me and slammed my door. Next thing I knew he was hitting KOD with the gun.”
Kiki continued: “(Halim) then knocked him to the ground and put the gun to his neck. At this point I got out the car and made for the entrance of Cinderella’s. I slipped through the door just in time to avoid him as he chased after me. The bouncers prevented him from entering so he stood outside with his pistol and continued with his death threats. This is not the first time Halim has done this, he walks around pointing guns and hurting people and when these incidents are reported, the police do nothing because his father is Asuma Banda.”
KOD is responding to treatment and the world waits to see if Halim Banda will face the law or ride it out.
Last December Halim was allegedly involved in another nightclub brawl that wounded an innocent bystander. The case is in court.
