The social media has been agog after a Nollywood movie producer and a Port Harcourt-based actor were reportedly fingered as the leaders of the kidnapping group who were recently killed in a shootout by the Lagos SWAT team.
The powerful Nollywood movie producer Ason Rich has been reportedly identified as the leader of the nine-man kidnapping gang.
Apart from Ason Rich, a fast-rising Nollywood actor, Prince Henry Odenigbo, was also identified as one of the men shot dead by the Nigerian police.
According to blogger and actor Stanley Ontop, Ason Rich is one of the biggest movie producers in Asabawood.
In a video shared online, Ontop revealed some of the movies Ason Rich has produced and the actors he has worked with, including Yul Edochie, Obio Oluebube, Uche Nancy, and many others.
Also, checks by 9News Nigeria revealed that in 2024 alone, Odenigbo’s company, 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’, ‘Clue Girl’, ‘Blind Blood’, ‘To Forgive’, and ‘Bethlehem’.
The filmmaker worked with famous Nollywood actors, such as Yul Edochie, Kelvin Ikeduba, and Eve Esin. As an actor, he portrayed bad-boy roles and would wield guns in movies, as seen in one of his most recent roles, Blind Blood, as posted on 26 April.
The Chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Rivers State Chapter, Osuwa Chigozie, swiftly responded to the allegations, dissociating the group from the filmmaker, Odenigbo, and three other persons who are also film practitioners.
The Guild, in a statement, said the three persons who died in the shootout with the police at Ladipo on Thursday were not 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 robbery 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 organisation.
‘‘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.”
Actor Kanayo O. Kanayo also cautioned the public on his Instagram page against referring to the suspected kidnapper as a Nollywood movie producer.
He expressed concerns that individuals are leaving their trades and finding Nollywood a fertile ground to disguise their activities.
His post partly reads: “We must begin to identify who an actor and a producer is. While I commend the Nigerian police for making our Lagos safe, bloggers and influencers, please be mindful of those you refer to as Nollywood producers and actors. It affects some of us. We need to investigate. It is beginning to tarnish the reputation of those who practice and depend on this industry.”
Similarly, AGN’s Financial Secretary, Emeka Duru, told this newspaper on Wednesday that none of the slain kidnappers were members of the guild.
