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Tag: AGN

  • Actor Taye Arimoro reacts to AGN suspension over alleged on-set assault

    Actor Taye Arimoro reacts to AGN suspension over alleged on-set assault

    Actor Taye Arimoro has reacted to his indefinite suspension by the industry’s top guilds, labelling their statement as “inaccurate” and vowing to contest the ruling legally.

    The controversy surrounds an alleged physical assault on the set of “Pieces of Love” involving producer Peggy Ovire.

    Arimoro claimed he was attacked after trying to leave the set when his scheduled call time elapsed.

    He alleged that Ovire blocked his vehicle, leading to detention and assault by her team.

    Arimoro is demanding N100 million compensation from Ovire, dismissing her account as “grossly misleading”.

    Ovire, however, stated that Arimoro was the aggressor.

    Following their investigation, the joint body of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), and the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) mandated Arimoro to, issue a public apology to Ovire and the director, release a corrective video stating the actual sequence of events and completed the remaining scenes under supervised conditions.

    Arimoro assured that his legal team is addressing the claims, promising a comprehensive response. 

    “To be honest, the statement given doesn’t capture the facts of the matter in any way, shape, or form!”

    “My management and legal team are aware of this, and I will provide a comprehensive response tomorrow. My legal team is also proceeding with the necessary action to address these unfounded claims,” he wrote.

  • AGN calls for National prayers after two actors die on set

    AGN calls for National prayers after two actors die on set

    The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has called for prayers following the deaths of two actors on a movie set in Owerri, Imo State.

    The incident occurred after the actors consumed a drink provided by the producer, resulting in two fatalities.

    AGN President Emeka Rollas attributed the recent tragedies in Nollywood to a pattern of “mass death repeated on an annual basis” and emphasised the need for spiritual intervention.

    The AGN has organised a prayer programme with Pastor Jerry Eze to seek divine intervention and prevent future tragedies.

    This initiative comes a year after Junior Pope and three other crew members died during a film production in Asaba, Delta State.

    Read Also: Joy as COZA dedicates magnificent building in Kuje

    The AGN is seeking to reclaim spiritual airways and ensure actors’ safety through this prayer program.

    He wrote on Instagram: “Barely a week after the memorial service of our member Late JNR Pope, tragedy struck in Owerri involving two promising young actors.

    “They are not members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria but this points to two things:
    1. The devil still wants this pattern of mass death repeated on an annual basis. If not for God the death toll in Owerri could have been four persons. Exactly the same number last year in Asaba. Please let all Actors and indeed Nollywood prepare for this year’s prayer outing with @realjerryeze @streamsofjoyabuja
    2. We cannot continue like this. Everywhere in the country people just wake up and equip themselves with cameras and they have become Nollywood

    “This is a bad trend. These people camp themselves in an unhealthy, unverified environment making content. Content creators have to be licensed. RIP”.

  • AGN debunks arrest, detention of national president Rollas

    AGN debunks arrest, detention of national president Rollas

    The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has denied reports that its national president, Ejezie Emeka Rollas, was arrested and detained by the police in Umuahia, Abia State.

    According to a statement by the guild’s spokesman, Cornel Udofia, the reports are “a figment of imagination” aimed at embarrassing the Nigeria Police Force.

    Udofia said the controversy started when a group of ‘disgruntled elements’ reportedly hijacked the Abia AGN chapter by conducting an illegal election without the national body’s consent.

    This he said, led to the appointment of interim chairmen, including the latest one, Mr. Emmanuel Ehumadu, also known as Labista.

    He said that during Labista’s first meeting on January 9, 2025, Rollas attended to encourage participation, adding that things took a turn when someone in the crowd began issuing threats and causing chaos.

    He noted that Rollas sent a distress call to the police, who intervened and invited the individuals involved for questioning.

    The AGN has reiterated that Rollas was never arrested or detained, and the reports were fabricated to discredit the Nigeria Police Force.

    The statement reads: “Actors Guild of Nigeria debunks arrest of national president…

    “Our attention has been drawn to news making the rounds in local Abia blogs claiming that the AGNNational President Dr Ejezie Emeka Rollas MON was arrested and detained by the police in Umuahia., Abia State.

    “Ordinarily these blogs do not deserve this refutal but for the benefit of teeming supporters of our National President who has been doing a great job and for the records.

    “For those of you who have followed the AGN story in Abia it would be recalled that since 2024 a set of disgruntled elements led by one David Amalaha hijacked the Abia AGN by conducting an illegal and kangaroo election without the consent of the National body as enshrined in the AGN constitution. As a result, the Guild in Abia has been led by different Interim governments pending when the matter in court would have been over.

    “Recently Mr Emmanuel Ehumadu aka Labista was appointed as the new Interim Chairman of the Abia State Chapter. January 9th 2025 was his first meeting and luckily the National President was around in the State due to the death of his mother-In-Law so he attended the meeting to encourage participation of all members.

    “After his speech where he reeled out the national programs for 2025 somebody among the crowd raised up his hands to speak and he was given audience only for him to begin to rain abuses to the national body, issuing threats and causing chaos. At that point the national president sent a distress call to the AlG zone 9 who intervened and the boys were invited to the police for questioning.

    “The meeting continued. At the end of the meeting the National President went to the zone 9 Umuahia and made an official entry of threat to life.

    The National President was never arrested and detained as claimed in the report.

    “It is a figment of imagination of the writer calculated to embarrass and disrespect the Nigeria Police Force. Signed, Cornel Udofia, Presidential Spokesman”.

  • Why AGN didn’t sue Adanma Luke over Junior Pope’s death – Emeka Rollas

    Why AGN didn’t sue Adanma Luke over Junior Pope’s death – Emeka Rollas

    The President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rollas, has explained why the guild chose not to take legal action against actress Adanma Luke following the tragic death of actor Junior Pope.

    Junior Pope passed away in a boat accident on April 10, 2024, while travelling to a movie location.

    Rollas disclosed that the guild was unable to sue because the contract Pope signed with producer Adanma Luke granted only his direct family or wife the legal right to pursue such action.

    He also noted that Junior Pope was not a due-paying member of the AGN at the time of his death, further limiting the guild’s involvement in the matter.

    Read Also: AGN president Rollas unveils plans to restructure Nollywood

    He said in an interview on Arise News: “Update on Junior Pope, you know I was here and I said that we are about to sue. In the course of interacting with our legal adviser, he said that from the contract that Junior Pope signed with the producer, the AGN did not have the locum to sue. He said either the direct family or the wife should sue the producer.”

    Rollas explained that the guild is working on restructuring and creating a new structure that includes licensing actors.

    This move aims to ensure that actors are protected and have a stronger support system in place.

    “Now we go back to the structure that we are talking about. Because we just came back from Los Angeles now, we are trying to change a lot of things. From the structure we are creating, tapping from the practice, we are going to begin licensing actors because we also find out that even the Junior Pope, as of the time of his death was not a due-paying member of the guild. He was just an actor who is big and has not paid dues in the last one year before his death”, he said.

  • AGN distances self from proposed protest

    AGN distances self from proposed protest

    The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has dissociated itself from the planned nationwide protest slated from August 1.

    A statement by the secretary of the Guild, Abubarkar Yakubu, said the decision was taken after a crucial national congress attended by over 20 state chapters.

    The congress stated that actors are ambassadors of peace, role models and mirrors of the society and would not embark on street protest as ‘we always use our movies as effective medium to demonstrate and protest against economic, political and other ills in the society.’

    Read Also: ‘House of Ga’a’ tops Netflix Nigeria chart

    The congress noted that the nation was in critical situation that requires collective and unparalleled commitment,  tenacity of purpose, perseverance, patriotism and other exemplifying  inclination that would help propel political and economic growth. 

    The congress appealed to all members nationwide not to participate in the proposed protest as it will disrupt the daily activities of hardworking Nigerians.However, the congress believes that through collective efforts, Nigeria will be great again.

  • AGN set to embark on 4-day fasting, prayers against industry deaths

    AGN set to embark on 4-day fasting, prayers against industry deaths

    Popular cleric, Jerry Eze, is scheduled to lead four days of fasting and prayer with the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) to address the recurring deaths in Nollywood.

    The association will embark on the four-day retreat, starting from May 2nd to May 5th, to pray and fast to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

    The national president of the guild, Emeka Rollas, announced the initiative on Instagram, with emphasis on Pastor Jerry Eze as the programme lead.

    Pastor Jerry Eze is the founder of Streams of Joy International Church.

    Rollas emphasised the significance of prayers in preventing any more tragedies in Nollywood, especially in light of the recent losses of Junior Pope and Mr. Ibu. Junior Pope died in a boat accident, while Mr. Ibu bravely fought an illness.

    Read Also: AGN threatens lawsuit against Adanma Luke, others over boat mishap tragedy

    The AGN president wrote: “In view of the recent passing of our two veteran members and the devastating tragic boat mishap that claimed the lives of five active practitioners including John Paul Odonwodo, aka, Jnr Pope in Asaba, we have decided to seek divine intervention in fasting and prayers to avert similar occurrence in the future.

    “Join us on the Altar of Fire from 2nd May to 5th May 2024 for prayers and declarations to deal with this ugly reproach.

    “Actors cannot continue to die like chickens let us reclaim our spiritual airways and highways that seem to have been hijacked by certain powers. Other members of Nollywood are free to join this program. I appeal to all NSPDians all over the world and all lovers of actors of Nollywood to join us in this program.”

  • Our joy short lived, AGN confirms actor Junior Pope dead

    Our joy short lived, AGN confirms actor Junior Pope dead

    The President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Emeka Rollas has confirmed the death of its member, John Paul Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope.

    The Nation reported the late actor and three colleagues were coming back from a movie location in a boat when they fell into the Anam River in Anambra on Wednesday.

    Rollas on his instagram page on Thursday, wrote: “It is so so sad that our joy was short lived.

    “My first post was out of excitement when we noticed his tingling fingers. Two notable hospitals tried their best to revive him but to no avail.

    “God knows the best. We finally lost him,” he said.

    Junior Pope joined the industry in 2006 and started attending movie auditions and acting as a minor character in movies.

    He usually played the role of a bodyguard, palace attendant and servant in movies.

    Read Also: What to know about late actor Junior Pope

    In 2007, he rose to fame after acting in the Nollywood blockbuster movie “Secret Adventures” directed by Tchidi Chikere.

    He acted in more than 150 Nollywood movies which include: “Secret Adventures”, “Mad sex”, “Bitter Generation”, “Vengeance of Bullet”, “The Cat”, “The Generals”, “Wrong Initiation” among others.

    In 2010, he won the award for Nollywood Most Promising Actor in Nigeria at the Entertainment Factory Awards.

    He was known for acting criminal, villain, armed robber, militant and hitman roles in movies with Emma Ehumadu, Sylvester Madu, Zubby Michael, Jim Iyke, Alaso Wariboko, Gentle Jack, Hanks Anuku, Jerry Amilo.

    Other awards he won include Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards and Best Actor of the Year at the Africa Movie Academy Awards, among others.

  • AGN honours Ugochukwuwith Special Recognition award

    AGN honours Ugochukwuwith Special Recognition award

    For his significant contribution to the Nigerian film industry through art, Favour Ugochukwu aka Mayor has been bestowed with a Special Recognition Award by the Imo State branch of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).

    The award, presented by AGN Chairman, Nneoma Ukpabi, celebrates the remarkable impact of Ugochukwu’s film, ‘Ponzi Lord,’ which has garnered widespread acclaim and sparked viral awareness on pertinent social issues.

    Read Also: AGN hails Tinubu as Zack Orji travels for post-surgery evaluation

    Ukpabi hailed the movie as a beacon of awareness, acknowledging its power to provoke meaningful dialogue and societal change.

    Ugochukwu’s cinematic prowess, as demonstrated through ‘Ponzi Lord,’ epitomises the transformative potential of storytelling in addressing pressing social concerns. His ability to engage and captivate audiences while shedding light on complex issues underscores his status as a visionary filmmaker.

    Ukpabi summed up her submission, saying: “Ugochukwu’s contributions serve as an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers and industry professionals by entertaining, educating, enlightening, and empowering audiences through his work.”

  • Actor Saint Obi may not have died if we were contacted – AGN

    Actor Saint Obi may not have died if we were contacted – AGN

    Emeka Rollas, President of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has claimed that late actor, Saint Obi would probably not have died if he had reached out to the guild.

    Rollas said this in a recent interview with QEDNG, adding that the actor’s death was a huge loss to AGN.

    He said: “Saint Obi’s death was another big blow and after his death, I was privy to a lot of things, I began to speak with the sister, I began to speak with the wife and if you remember very well we were quite silent on a lot of issues from the AGN angle because we didn’t want to dabble into family politics.

    “So what all of them boils down to say is as an actor, if you go to hospital according to our HMO we would be sure of whatever ailment comes to you before you seek for help.

    “And I’m sure that if Saint Obi also had reached out to us, probably, he would not have died, it was shortly during that time that we lost Don Brymo, the one that died at a location in Port Harcourt.

    Read Also: Nollywood actor Saint Obi dies after protracted illness

    “The day he came to shoot, he was looking visibly sick, his colleague Joyce Kalu insisted that this man be taken to hospital before any shoot but the producer didn’t listen and after some time even Don Brymo himself said lets go and shoot. He probably was scared of refunding money that he had been paid.”

    Recall that Saint Obi died in Plateau State on May 8, 2023 at the age of 57 after battling a protracted ailment.

    He was buried on August 18 in his hometown Umuezealaeze, Alaenyi Ogwa in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Imo state.

  • AGN didn’t support my husband, Mr. Ibu’s wife kicks

    AGN didn’t support my husband, Mr. Ibu’s wife kicks

    Stella Maris Okafor, wife of veteran actor, Mr. Ibu has called out the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) for allegedly lying about providing support to her husband before his medical condition.

    She spoke following a statement by the union addressing the allegations of abandonment and lack of structure to support their colleagues.

    According to Mr Ibu’s wife in a video shared by social media critic, VeryDarkMan, the statement released by the Guild was only to save their faces as it is completely untrue.

    Read Also: Shehu Sani pledges support for Mr. Ibu

    She revealed that she has never received support from the union prior to her husband’s health challenge with efforts to reach the Actors Guild proving abortive.

    “I am not happy at all.  AGN came to be talking about what they did not do. Why would they come out to say they’ve been supporting my husband from the start when they did not do anything? I called Emeka Rollers, he didn’t answer; I texted, he read the message and did not reply,” she said in part.

    Backing Mrs Stella’s claim, VeryDarkMan insisted that the Guild lacked structure as he initially argued.