Actress Bimbo Thomas has recounted a harrowing experience where armed robbers invaded a hotel housing the cast and crew of Omo Ghetto Part Two during filming in Ebute Metta, Lagos.
The attackers, who seemed to be targeting filmmaker Funke Akindele, broke into the hotel late at night, terrifying the actresses.
Thomas, in an interview with Chude Jideonwo, said filming the thuggery-themed movie attracted frequent disruptions from hoodlums in the area.
“We were filming in Ebute Metta, and boys would always come on set to disturb us because it’s a thuggery movie, and they felt we were depicting their everyday life.
“It’s my hood. I grew up in Ebute Metta, so I thought they would accord me that respect, but we still had to bring security so we could shoot freely,” she added.
Thomas said the ordeal began around midnight with loud bangs and shouts of “Ole! Ole!” as the attackers tried to force their way in.
According to Bimbo, she, Akindele, and others hid in the bathroom, praying and trying to conceal Akindele’s identity.
“We didn’t know what to do. We were praying. Funke is a prayer warrior, so we all started praying,” she said.
In a desperate attempt to protect Akindele, Thomas said they tried to hide her.
“I told them, ‘She’s the face here.’ We tried to put Funke under the bed, but it didn’t work, so we moved to the bathroom,” she said.
The attackers eventually broke in and took Akindele away, forcing her to sing and dance.
Thomas described the scene as “deeply disturbing,” saying she thought they would all be killed.
“When they came back the second time, it was clear they were looking for Funke. They kept calling her name.
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“I thought they would just take what they wanted and leave us, but they told her to put on her clothes and dragged her downstairs to her car.
“I came downstairs and heard her singing Emi Omo Ghetto. I didn’t understand what was happening. They asked her to sing and dance, and she did,” Thomas said.
The attackers were later chased away by security forces, and some were reportedly arrested or killed.
Thomas linked the attack to an earlier incident on set where some locals were arrested and made to apologise.
“Some boys disturbing us were arrested and made to record apology videos. Even though we had settled the area before filming, that incident offended them,” she said.
She thanked God for their survival, saying she was ready to defend Akindele to the end.
“I was thankful. At that moment, I was ready to attack one of them without thinking of the consequences. I could have been killed.
“When Funke later asked why I didn’t give her up to them, I told her, ‘If they were going to kill you, they would have killed us together. We thank God. Truly, we thank God,” she added.
