Incessant Sexual Harassment Forced Me Out of Film Industry – Funke Alegbeleye

LAGOS -Funke Alegbeleye has expressed concern over what she described as the growing prevalence of sexual relationships within the movie industry in Nigeria, particularly the Yoruba-speaking sector of Nollywood, warning that the trend could influence younger generations.

Alegbeleye made the remarks during a podcast programme with Funny Thinker, where she clarified that the nature of sexual relationships among people in the industry was not the reason she joined it.

According to her, male actors engage in sexual relationships with female colleagues, involving both younger and older women. She expressed concern that such behaviour was becoming increasingly common in the industry.

She also noted that young boys growing up in the present generation were exposed to these activities, raising concerns about the possible influence of the trend on their attitudes and behaviour as they grow older.

Alegbeleye’s comments have drawn attention to concerns about sexual behaviour in the entertainment industry and the potential impact of public figures’ conduct on younger people.

Nollywood Supremacy: ‘Pete Edochie Is a Proud Human Being,’ Says Kola Olaiya

Veteran actor Kola Olaiya has described fellow actor Pete Edochie as a “proud human being,” accusing him of failing to acknowledge the contributions of earlier theatre practitioners in Nigeria.

Olaiya made the remarks during a recent episode of Oyinmomo TV, uploaded on Friday, amid renewed debate over who qualifies as a pioneer in Nigerian acting following comments by Edochie and Yoruba theatre veteran Lere Paimo.

During the interview, Olaiya argued that the history of Nigerian acting extends beyond actors who gained prominence in the English-language film industry, insisting that several theatre practitioners established themselves decades before Edochie began his acting career.

“Pete Edochie is a proud human being. I have known him for long. Pride is in his blood. That is why he cannot respect elders,” Olaiya said.

The actor cited late theatre pioneer Hubert Ogunde, whose professional theatrical career began in 1944 after he resigned from the police, arguing that Ogunde’s contributions predated Edochie’s emergence in the industry.

“Before they gave birth to Pete Edochie, Ogunde had been acting. That is why he cannot admit that some people started before him. Ogunde started theatre in 1944, when he resigned as a police officer,” he said.

Olaiya also mentioned other prominent figures in the development of Nigerian theatre, including Oyin Adejobi, Duro Ladipo and Kola Ogunmola, questioning Edochie’s place in the industry’s history if seniority is determined by when actors began their careers.

“Ogunde produced a lot of movies and made records before Edochie was born. After that, people like our fathers, including Oyin Adejobi, Duro Ladipo and Kola Ogunmola, joined the industry. Where was Pete then?” he asked.

He further argued that Edochie’s prominence in his region should not automatically translate into a claim of seniority over actors from other parts of Nigeria.

“I do not know if he is the first in his region and has no superior; that is fine. But in the whole of Nigeria? No,” Olaiya added.

The comments come amid a broader debate over the distinction between the history of Nigerian theatre, early stage performances and the emergence of Nollywood as a modern film industry.

The debate gained renewed attention after Edochie, during an appearance on the Curiosity Made Me Ask podcast hosted by comedian Isbae U, said he began acting in 1962 at the age of 15.

Edochie cited his performance in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice as part of his early acting experience. His remarks prompted discussions about how the beginning of an acting career should be defined, particularly when comparing stage performances with careers in film.

In September, Paimo, during an interview with filmmaker Kunle Afod, said he began acting in 1958 and had met Ogunde, whom he described as senior to him and other performers.

“I started acting in 1958. I met Hubert Ogunde, who was senior to me and others, and there were big movies produced back then,” Paimo said.

His remarks reinforced the argument that the history of Nigerian acting cannot be determined solely by the emergence of Nollywood, which gained prominence in the early 1990s.

Edochie, however, has maintained that his acting career began with stage performances in 1962, before the emergence of the modern Nigerian film industry. He also cited his portrayal of Okonkwo in the 1985 television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart as a significant milestone in his career.

The disagreement has renewed attention to the contributions of earlier Nigerian theatre practitioners, particularly those involved in Yoruba travelling theatre, who established performance traditions long before Nollywood became widely recognised.

Ogunde, widely regarded as a pioneer of modern Yoruba theatre, began his professional theatrical work in the 1940s.

God Gave Me A Second Chance” – Broda Shaggi Breaks Silence Months After Near-Death Experience

Nigerian skit maker, Samuel Animashaun Perry, popularly known as Broda Shaggi, has broken his silence months after his near-death experience, recounting how he was hit by a stray bullet.

In a detailed interview shared on his YouTube page on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the comedian said the incident happened on March 9, 2026, during what was supposed to be a normal workday.

According to him, it was just after a brand activation outing. He and his team had finished shooting and were leaving the location around the Sango-Ota bridge area when tragedy struck.

“We were done shooting and got stuck in traffic. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang and everywhere went silent. I could see people talking, but I couldn’t hear anything. Then I touched my hip, saw blood, I got to know I had been hit by a stray bullet,” he recounted.

Shaggi said he went unconscious shortly after and was overwhelmed with fear, praying all the way to the hospital.

“I was totally unconscious till I got to the hospital. All that was in my mind was just to survive, I didn’t want to die,” he said.

He narrated that when he got to the first hospital in the Alakuko area of Lagos, medical personnel tried to cut his clothes to locate where the bullet hit.

“When I got to the first hospital, they tried to cut my clothes to see where the bullet hit. They took me to another hospital because they said they didn’t have enough equipment to handle me. I was sweating,” he said.

He was later transferred to another medical facility in the Government Residential Area of Ikeja, where he was swiftly moved into the emergency room.

“We got to the other hospital, they were swift, put me in the emergency room. By that time, my mind was settled that I was going to make it through this moment,” he added.

The comedian said he was hospitalized for months, unable to move his leg and uncertain if he would ever perform again.

“I was hospitalized for months, and I felt so useless. I would see my colleagues post skits and burst into tears because I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to do it again. I was scared people would have forgotten me by the time I returned,” he said.

He described March 9 as “a day in my life I wished never happened” and titled his comeback video “The Second Chance,” thanking God for survival and promising fans exciting new projects.