During the filming of Omo Ghetto Part Two in Ebute Metta, Lagos, Nollywood actress Bimbo Thomas recounted a terrifying experience in which she claimed that armed robbers broke into a hotel that housed the cast and crew.
Filmmaker and lead actress Funke Akindele seemed to be the target of the assailants, according to Thomas, who played Nikky in the popular movie that made her famous. She connected the event to a previous altercation between the production crew and thugs.
In an interview with Chude Jideonwo that was released on Saturday, Thomas revealed that the filming of the film, which is about gang culture and street life, frequently resulted in harassment from local criminals.
“Because the movie reflected their everyday reality, boys would constantly disturb the set while we were filming in Ebute Metta,” she claimed.
Thomas claimed that even though she grew up in the area, familiarity did not protect the crew from meddling, necessitating a greater level of security on the set.
It’s my territory. We still needed to bring in security so we could operate, but I felt they would respect me,” she continued. She claimed that once filming was finished, the incident took place late at night.
The cast members were housed in several local hotels. Thomas claimed that before Akindele asked her over, she had already stayed somewhere else.
Funke demanded that I accompany her. She mentioned that Eniola Badmus stayed at another hotel and advised that we get a massage, as we typically do after work. Thomas claims that the event started just before one in the morning.
She remembered, “All of a sudden, we heard loud banging and people shouting ‘Ole! Ole!’. Panic swept across the hotel as everyone inside realised it was being attacked.
“We were afraid. We all began to pray since Funke is a really devout person, she said. Thomas claimed they tried to conceal Akindele out of fear that she was the primary target.
I informed them that she was the well-known face. After failing to conceal her beneath the bed, we relocated her to the bathroom’, she said.
The others knelt in terror as Akindele hid behind her garment.
“I was just begging God for mercy, while the masseuse and Funke were praying in tongues,” Thomas remarked.
The attackers eventually returned and pushed their way inside, despite their initial failure to do so.
It was clear that they were looking for Funke when they returned. She remarked, “They were yelling her name.”
Eventually, Akindele emerged from hiding.
Thomas recalled, “I assumed they would simply gather her valuables and go, but they asked her to get dressed and dragged her downstairs to her car. She described what happened next as shocking.
Funke was performing Emi Omo Ghetto when I heard it. I had no idea what was going on. She complied with their request to sing and dance, she said.
Only six armed men entered the hotel, according to Thomas, but roughly twenty more were stationed outside. We didn’t realise there were so many of them. We had no power at all,” she stated.
Prominent people received emergency calls, including Oba Saheed Elegushi, who allegedly organised assistance.
Following the arrival of officers from Panti Police Station, the attackers were forced to leave after security personnel engaged them and heard gunshots.
It was complete mayhem. About 20 to 30 of us were stuck at the reception, terrified, puzzled, and in prayer after someone was shot and a pastor was taken to the hospital, she recalled.
Months later, Thomas disclosed, she found out that some of the assailants had been taken into custody, while others had allegedly been slain.
“I was appreciative. I was prepared to assault one of them without hesitation at that very time. She stated, “I could have been killed.”
She linked the assault to a previous event on set in which some thugs who interfered with filming were taken into custody and forced to make recordings of their apologies.
“That incident deeply offended them, even though we settled the area before filming,” she said.
Thomas stated the encounter had a deep emotional impact and was nasty and ruthless.
“I told Funke that if they were going to kill her, they would have killed all of us together,” she stated in response to her question about why I didn’t turn her over.
“We are sincerely thankful to God,” she continued.