In what seems like the plot to a Hollywood movie two Americans are still being held in Angola 45 days after being prevented from leaving following a failed New Year's Eve concert appearance by Nas.
As we previously reported, 51-year old Patrick Allocco, CEO of AllGood Concerts and his 22-year old son, also named Patrick have not been allowed to leave Angola until local promoter Henrique "Riquhino" Miguel is paid back the $315,000 he fronted for the failed concert plus an additional $75,000 in expenses.
Nas and Atlanta rapper Jemiah Jai were paid to perform on New Year's Eve in Angola's capital city of Luanda, but neither boarded a plane to the event.
The Allocco's were apprehended by Miguel's goon's when they tried to take a cab to the airport once they realized Nas, who was paid $300,000 wasn't coming.
Instead of taking them to the airport the taxi driver took them to a supermarket and told them he had someone to meet. Sensing something was wrong the younger Allocco told his dad they should leave according to a new story in the New York Post.
“Dad, this isn’t good,” the son whispered. “Let’s get out of here.”
By the time they hopped out of the cab and tried to get their luggage out of the trunk they were surrounded by 20 of Miguel's men armed with AK-47's.
One of the gunmen reportedly grabbed the younger Allocco and slammed his head on an SUV before shoving both men in the back of a vehicle being driven by Miguel.
“We are going to die,” Allocco’s son said.
The two were taken to a police station and interrogated in Portuguese, which neither of them speak.
“That they’re being held for something that somebody else did is preposterous,” said worried wife and mother Abby Allocco.
Nas has finally returned all of the $300,000 he was advanced, but Jemiah Jai refuses to repay the $15,000 she received.
In the meantime, the Allocco's passports are being held and their money is running out fast. They had $100,000, but $40,000 has been spent on phone calls to the U.S. and other money is being spent simply trying to survive. A hamburger costs $45.
At one point the son was taken by locals to celebrate his pending release, but instead they tied his arms and dragged him through the streets, asking if his dad would pay $10,000 for his release.
He was warned to never leave the hotel again by an employee because he was a target.
The father and son applied for refuge with the U.S. Embassy January 23, but were denied because they were not deemed to be in serious harm.
“We did not find, in this case, that Mr. Allocco met the criteria for refuge. However, we did bring [the son] into the Embassy temporarily,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “My understanding is we gave him some clothes and some medicine, but we didn’t take him in for refuge."
The Angolan government has also refused to help, leaving these guys in a real bad space.
Alloco told the New York Post his beef is with Nas.
“He put us in real harm, in real possible danger,” Allocco said. “This is the closest thing we came to someone up and running with the money.”
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