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Billionaire kidnapper: Untold story of Henry Odenigbo’s exploits as Nollywood actor, producer

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Billionaire kidnapper: Untold story of Henry Odenigbo’s exploits as Nollywood actor, producer

Billionaire kidnapper: Untold story of Henry Odenigbo’s exploits as Nollywood actor, producer

Being a kidnapper was something that never crossed our minds – Rivers AGN Chairman
•Odenigbo featured only in his own movies, never harassed or owned actors
•I’m scared, says Kelvin Ikeduba who acted in one of his movies ‘Born in the Ghetto’

 

Fear, shock, and disbelief are the words to describe the reactions of many filmmakers and movie stars in Rivers State where the slain billionaire kidnapper, Henry Odenigbo, held sway as an actor and film producer before he met his Waterloo on July 4 in Lagos.

 

 

Ode, as he was popularly called, was the ring leader of a gang of nine kidnappers who targeted wealthy individuals in Lagos. They were killed after a shootout with the police at Ladipo, Mushin area of Lagos.

While he was alive, the late kidnapper who was seen as one of the biggest financiers of movie productions in Rivers, was the owner of Port-Harcourt-based Aso-Rich Production.

But unknown to movie makers in the state, Ode was a kidnap kingpin who was using the production outfit as a camouflage to carry out his nefarious activities.

Fortunately, actors were not his main target.

Narrating how the late billionaire kidnapper, who hailed from Imo State came to be known as an actor and film producer, the Chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria,AGN, Rivers State chapter, Dr. Ken Osunwa, in a chat with Vanguard, said the late Ode was never close to anybody in the industry, adding that he only featured in his own-sponsored movies.

 

 

 

According to him, the late kidnapper was never a member of AGN, Rivers State, nor a member of Association of Movie Producers, AMP, Rivers State chapter.

Speaking further, Osunwa, who noted that Odenigbo never attended any of their meetings or events, said: “He hailed from Imo State and came to set up a movie production outfit in PH. I’ve already done a disclaimer when the news got to me and people were talking about him as an actor.

“Yes, he was acting in his own-sponsored movies and not practising in Nollywood, Rivers State, in the sense that he never featured in other people’s productions.

 

“To the best of my knowledge, Ode never had an issue with other practitioners in the state. I was never called to settle issues with him and others.’’

He, however, acknowledged the fact that the late billionaire kidnapper never owed any actor, director or producers who worked for him.

“He was bringing different actors, producers and directors to work for him and at the end of it, he paid off everyone.

“He invested in the Nollywood industry like any other investor. Nobody knew his source of wealth and when I received the news of his killing by the police in Lagos, I was very surprised. I thank God that all our actors who were working with him are safe and fine. Nobody was missing and from the report from his production, he was not owing anybody.”

Besides producing movies, the late Henry Odenigbo also had a Film Academy, called Ason Rich Movie Academy, where he trained cameramen, scriptwriters, actors, producers and directors, sound mixers, make-up artists, and production managers, among others.

 

 

Before his death, Ode was promoting a one-month intensive training opportunity for youths on his Instagram page, which was supposed to kick off on Monday, August 5, and run till August 31, in Rivers. But that dream is gone with his exit.

Recounting how Ode recently completed his last production before his exit, Osunwa said he (Henry Odenigbo) as a kidnapper, was something that never crossed their minds in Rivers State, adding ‘’This is because he was nice to the people that worked for him.”

Meanwhile, as a way of stopping a recurrence of the ugly incident in future, Osunwa said his group had started profiling every production house in Rivers State to know their identities as well and get acquainted with them, to monitor closely whatever they were doing.

“We have also started sensitizing our members on how to identify fake production houses in the state. Like in every sector of our society, there are different kinds of human beings operating with a different mindset. We must fight them to avoid ruining our sector,” Osunwa added.

One of the popular actors, Kelvin Ikeduba, who featured in one of the late kidnapper’s movies, “Born in the Ghetto” which was released early last month, said he was scared when he heard the news of Odenigbo’s death.

 

 

 

He was thankful that nothing happened to him while on the set of the deceased’s movie.
The actor said: “I only featured in one of his movies, ‘Born in the Ghetto.’ They would have killed them before now. I was scared. I went to work in PH, what if there was no job and they came up with a plan? Who knows!

‘’I am very happy with the news of their death. For me, it’s a big testimony. Do you know what it means when someone comes every day to pick you up in the hotel without you knowing what they are doing for a living?’’

He added that the director, Ifeanyi Akanaga, invited him to be part of the production.
However, disassociating Nollywood from the slain kidnapper, the President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria, DGN, Dr Victor Okhai, said what happened was a call for ‘a united Nollywood’, where they would be privileged to know who is who in the industry.

He argued that while bad eggs were also found in other sectors, the slain kidnapper was never a member of any guild in Nollywood.

Similarly, the President of the Association of Movie Practitioners, AMPRAC, Ifeanyi Azodo, said checks on AMPRAC’s database showed that the late kidnapper was never a member of the association, adding that people of questionable character were never admitted into the association

In a disclaimer, Osunwa dissociated the AGN from the filmmaker, Odenigbo alongside three other persons who claimed to be film practitioners.

The guild, in a statement, said the three persons who died in the shootout with the police at Ladipo were not their members.

The statement read: “The Rivers State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria at this moment, disclaims any affiliation with the individuals who tragically lost their lives in a recent kidnap incident in Lagos. Specifically, Prince Henry Asonna (Executive Producer of Aso Rich), Angel Emanuzo (Associate Producer), Chris Ahaneku (Logistics Manager-Aso Rich), and Jerry Eze (Camera Assistant) were not members of our guild. They were not part of our organization.

“They have never been associated with our guild events and are not on our register. They were not affiliated with us, to the best of my knowledge, and we condemn any false associations and news making the rounds that AGN members from Rivers State were involved in the kidnapping.”

Veteran actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo, also cautioned the public on his Instagram page against referring to the slain kidnapper as a movie producer.

 

 

In the same vein, AGN’s Financial Secretary, Emeka Duru, frowned on associating the slain kidnappers with Nollywood, saying “Because they made a movie is not doing justice to the industry.”

Meanwhile, in 2024 alone, Odenigbo’s outfit, Ason-Rich Movie Production, produced over ten films, including ‘Born in the Ghetto’, ‘Love At The Pool’, ‘My Half’, ‘Little Top Up’, ‘Regards for Love’, “Wild Love”, ‘Clue Girl’, ‘Blind Blood’, ‘To Forgive’, “Sharon’s Fate”, which featured Yul Edochie, and ‘Bethlehem.’

In 2022, he produced such movies as “Royal Ties” among others.

The late kidnapper worked with famous actors, such as Yul Edochie, Kelvin Ikeduba, and Eve Esin. But checks also revealed that he mostly worked with fast-rising actors or relatively unknown faces in the industry.

As an actor who was always posting all his movie jackets on Instagram, the late kidnapper portrayed bad-boy roles and wielded guns in movies, as seen in one of his most recent roles in “Blind Blood” as posted on his Instagram page on April 26. He was also honoured on March 16, 2024, when organizers of Nollywood Indigenous Filmmakers of Nigeria, NIFMON, awarded him the ‘Best Filmmaker in Port Harcourt’.

 

Weeks later, on March 31, E-flex named him Nolly TV’s Best Grassroot Filmmaker for 2024/2025.

 

By  By Benjamin Njoku

@VANGUARD

 

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Wanted Briton Reveals Why He Cant Surrender to Nigeria police

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Wanted Briton Reveals Why He Cant Surrender to Nigeria police

Nigeria police will torture, kill me if I surrender – Wanted Briton

 

The British national declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force, Andrew Wynne, has said he won’t be turning himself in because he feared for his life in the hands of the police.

The police had on Monday declared Wynne and one Lucky Obiyan, a Nigerian, wanted and placed N20m bounty on them for allegedly trying to overthrow President Bola Tinubu by allegedly financing the recent #EndBadGovernance or #Hunger protest in the country.

Wynne had denied the allegations and accused the police of not extending an invitation to him.

But reacting on Tuesday, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, insisted that the police had invited Wynne and given him ample opportunity to come forward to prove his innocence.

 

“We have established an offence or offences against him (Wynne), and we have even declared him wanted. His accomplices have been charged in court. Let him come out. At least those people worked for him. As a good leader, a businessman, and a smart man who mobilised and organised sleeper cells to cause problems in Nigeria, he should have come out as a good leader and proven to his followers that he was a good leader. Let him come and meet us,” Adejobi said on Tuesday.

But speaking in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, Wynne said he would not be alive if he surrendered to the police.

 

Referring to the case of his employee, Yomi, who he said was brutally tortured by the police for days after being arrested at the bookshop, Wynne declared that he would not let the same fate happen to him.

 

Wynne, a 70-year-old man, stated that if he surrendered to the police, he wouldn’t survive the year.

He said, “The police say, if I am innocent I should give myself up. I am innocent. Like Yomi, for example, Yomi is completely innocent, give myself up and be tortured?

“I mean, it’s beyond fear, isn’t it? Yomi is my son and he’s completely innocent and was tortured for three days.

“And the police expect me to come back to Nigeria and be tortured? My fear is I would not be alive. It’s not about fear of torture and being beaten up by the police, it’s fear for my life. I don’t think I would survive the year if I came back to Nigeria.”

 

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Mr. Muritala Ajaka and 2023 Igala Demeaning Politics by Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach

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Mr. Muritala Ajaka and 2023 Igala Demeaning Politics by Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach

Mr. Muritala Ajaka and 2023 Igala Demeaning Politics by Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach

 

 

I am apolitical at the moment. Though, I may be political in no distance time. However, I can only go for humanistic politics and astute progression of democracy if needed to be political. Being political is not bad, rather, becoming a bad politician. Therefore, I have no problem with how this commentary is position in your opinion. Hence, my duty is to extend fellowship of knowledge and understanding with concerned and well-meaning Kogites. Be as it is, the pronouncement of the Supreme Court has leveled and buried the election advances.

 

 

The 2023 gubernatorial election of Kogi State has brought clear definition of insoluble betrayal -both the betrayals and the betrayed have no huge difference. Every wall and soul of the state was purchased by political-economics. The leading candidates and their regional representations are clear sign of tribalism, nepotism and segregation. Pressing more, while the Kogi Central was so united for Usman Ododo’s candidacy with the help of Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, the then executive governor of the state despite senator Natasha Akpoti’s political weight, the Kogi West was divided for sake of jealousy and immature political games, and the heart of the state, Kogi East, was guided by marginalized politics in the hands of astute betrayals. Everything about the election was positively and progressively declined. But, just as the nature of Nigeria politics, no one needs to say much about the underscoring.

Mr. Muritala Ajaka and 2023 Igala Demeaning Politics by Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach

 

While it is better to check professional records of outstanding individuals in our vicinity, a lot of people have ignorantly sidelined such social norm simply for encountering a well-known person rather, a well-meaning person. However, this is the game of life. During the time, I saw that, my people lack many Nigeria political ideologies. Even in that, the in-house betrayal doesn’t suppose to come alive, because, for the sake of this, my people have received the shocks of their desires despite their complete intellectual push towards recovering stolen mandate.

Betrayal is the first chapter in the book of Nigeria politics. This is a weak nature that others have regarded as one of the forwarding steps. One is said to be evil incarnate if he deceives his or her loved ones. An elder always has too much to say when his or her beloved child brings shame that he hasn’t thought of to the house – probably, he could only say, what have I done to deserve this from my maker? This is to say, a parent’s fate is connected to their children. Even in the wake of this, one is not expected to put his child away because of a shame brought into a family. Because, in the middle of this digital generation, a child who thought he knows much might fall into terrible issue for lack of unchecked background of cases – this is attributed to ignorance. But, a child who knows well about a thing, and in the odds of what it entails, forget and purposefully engage in such thing on goal that even if that brings anything bad, his parents can help withstand it, is said to be an evil child. Just as it is known to as how evil is a personal acceptance of will and character, a child who does what brings shame to his parent willingly is an evil child. God forbid we bear such child. This, to me, without an independent learning, is the case of Mr. Ajaka and Igala people in the last gubernatorial election.

Digging deeper on the scenery, I can say that, if all eyes can see very well, Mr. Muritala Ajaka would be the most unsellable candidate in the next gubernatorial election of Kogi State. His inner and outer connection with the ruling party is a must debatable and considerable fact. Hence, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that should have done greatly in recovering the state has been crumbled by Kogi East for sake of Ajaka’s candidacy which I can call, a misplaced priority. Note; the way Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was crashed because of tribalism in Kogi East is a great concern to our intellectualism and democratic workings. Everything happened sharply without thinking twice on the platform the state has mostly benefited from. Despite rigorous comparison to as how All Progressives Congress (APC) government has come to rescue Nigeria from evil orchestrated by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government, I haven’t seen better days of our dear Nigeria since APC government took central power. Yet, this party was abandoned for undiagnosable political party and candidate in the state.

Now that Mr. Ajaka has crashed Igala political structure for his greedy, I must encourage my people to stand up to build stronger structure. Similarly to how youths can take over Nigeria politics whenever they are ready, Igalas are in the same shoe in Kogi politics. We should try to forget what has happened and to entrust another person that has true Igala blood. However, I would love them to honour rotation of gubernatorial seat – the political party’s zoning. Using power of a political party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have articulated the best support in the last election because, that would have served an easy expressway for return of Igala as a governor after Dino Melaye’s years. So far, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the favoured political party of Igalas just as Labour Party (LP) is the favoured political party of Nigerian youths. Invariably, just as Labour Party (LP) was in Nigeria, so as Social Democratic Party (SDP) was in Kogi state. Honestly, the sporadically inclusive political segregation has rendered Igala intellectuals and foremost politicians into dews of early morning. However, this comes as a result of ethnical love for the working class people rendered useless and meaningless by Yahaya Bello’s government. Nonetheless, this can be corrected in subsequent gubernatorial elections of the state by waking up to understand real definition of political forthrightness and concept of proficient democracy.

It is quite disheartening on the stand which my people calculated the political engagements – it was hugely ungrateful. It is ridiculous to support two different political parties at a point for two reasons – it is simply a calculated idiocracy. As a true man of conscience, you can’t support All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal level and support Social Democratic Party (SDP) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at state level. Failure is a connective spirit. Success takes similar lead. Hence, the both are fragmentable progression. So, one can’t outshine natures. Whatever that has touch of biases is inseparably connected to ambiguities. This, in the case of Nigeria politics, having drowned in an ocean of games and betrayals, one needs to be astute observer, calculator and clever to make decisions in regards to political domain. Otherwise, you become a stranger in the journey of discovering your political corridor. Therefore, we must cultivate spirit of statesmanship in our pursuit to secure accountable and profitable government, and to make good political leaders – this is when we must speak truth to our followers and project good leaders for electorates whenever needed.

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Beyond The Glitters: Primate Ayodele’s Prophetic Advice To Victor Osimhen In 2023

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Osimhen becomes sixth Nigerian to play for Galatasaray

*Beyond The Glitters: Primate Ayodele’s Prophetic Advice To Victor Osimhen In 2023

 

 

Nigerian super footballer, Victor Osimhen has no doubt had a very successful career so far, he has been regarded as the king of football especially at his club in Napoli.

Osimhen’s career has continued to grow bigger, with notable awards like African Footballer of the Year, confirming his status as one of Nigeria’s greatest football exports.

2023 marked the biggest year of Victor Osimhen’s career in Napoli and Africa but in the midst of the glitters that came in the form of international awards and trophies, there was Primate Ayodele’s prophecy foretelling an unpleasant moment for the player of the moment in 2023.

It didn’t make so much sense that someone with such success in his career would come across any challenge regarding his football career anytime soon but Primate Ayodele spoke about him facing challenges and revealing that the challenges he would face will make him leave his club, Napoli.

He warned that there will be ups and downs for Victor Osimhen if he remains in Napoli.

These were his words,

‘’Osimhen will leave his club because he will face several challenges and he must pray that he can still have the ability to score, he must look at it properly. I will tell Osimhen to leave Napoli to the next place so that things can change for him. If he still stays in Napoli, there will be ups and down.’’

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMrENBmX9/

One year after Osimhen’s glittering career in Napoli, he suddenly went from a hero status to becoming unwanted at his club not because of his performances but for some management issues.

The last two weeks have been frustrating for Victor Osimhen; He had offers to move to Chelsea FC but was required to take a pay cut. Fortunately, Al Ahli FC in Saudi Arabia offered to sign him for a huge amount of money but somehow, his club reneged on their agreement and the deal was off. It would have been a massive turnaround for Osimhen’s career but the deal was frustrated. At the time the Al Ahli’s deal got closed, Chelsea FC had already decided not to proceed with their deal too.

The major embarrassing thing was that Osimhen had already been left out from Napoli’s squad, with his shirt number reportedly given to another player, He will have to wait till January before stepping on the field again if he remained at Napoli.

In the end, He had to settle for a loan deal with Galatasaray S.K till January when he will be able to move to his desired club again.

No doubt, Osimhen’s travails in the last few days are exactly a representation of Primate Ayodele’s prophetic warnings.

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