Nigerians, mostly those from the Eastern region of the country, are condemning the President of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas over his alleged statement on the arrest of Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu by the Nigerian Army on Thursday.
Emeka Rollas who on Thursday confirmed the arrest of veteran actor, Chiwetalu Agu and facilitated his release on Friday 8th October 2021, while reacting to the arrest, was quoted to have berated Mr Chiwetalu for putting on a Biafra regalia given the state of insecurity in the Eastern region, especially Anambra State.
Emeka Rollas while reacting to the drama, was quoted in a media report on Thursday to have said:
“I don’t know why he put on Biafra regalia. The state is hot. We are in talks with the military officials to ensure he is released. I heard they have taken him to 82 Division of the Nigeria Military base. We will do our best,” he allegedly said on Thursday.
On Friday, when the news of the arrest and his statement went viral, Nigerians waited for him to make a post on his Instagram page so that they can drag him. And they did when he eventually made a post.
Here are some of the comments:
In a long post by one commenter on his Instagram comment section, the follower said:
“Gumi has been praising and negotiating for bandits and you cannot hear or see any Hausa man say anything about him. Your own kinsman was putting on a flag which is not a threat to human lives and you had the effrontery to make a statement like that. A Veteran actor was dragged and brutalised on the road and this is what you have to say? Bro I was born and raise in the North, I swear to you no Northerner can sell out him Kin the way you just did to C.Agu. Posterity will judge you,” he said.
Another went on to say:
“Your comment about C. Agu is really disappointing why are Igbos always in denial I’m not Igbo but y’all hate yourselves…the old man was brutalised by the Army and all you could say was “why would he wear a Biafra regalia” shame, ” he added.
Another added:
“I just read your comment regarding Mr Chinwe. You are indeed a disappointment to common sense and Liberty!,” he said.
There were a lot of derogatory statements made towards Emeka Rollas, after his post, but he announced on Friday 8th October 2021, through Mrs Monalisa Chinda Coker, who is the Director of Communications Actors Guild of Nigeria, that Mr Chiwetalu Agu has been released.
What The Actors Guild Of Nigeria Said About The Release?
According to the statement released by Monalisa Coker, the AGN Director of Communications stated that the release of Mr Chiwetalu Agu was secured by the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
Her statement reads:
“The National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejezie Emeka Rollas has secured the release of Actor Chiwetalu Agu from the custody of the Nigerian Army.
The Senior Special Assistant on Military Affairs and Inter-Governmental Relations to the President Steve Eboh who confirmed the release from the Army Barracks in Enugu thanked the High Command of The Nigerian Army for their cooperation and understanding on the matter.
The National President also commended the efforts of the leadership of the Pan Igbo Socio-cultural Group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo for their collaborative efforts on the matter.
However, the National President has debunked the earlier statement credited to him on the arrest of the veteran Actor as he hadn’t made any official public or private statement on the matter since his arrest yesterday.
The public is hereby advised to disregard the report which trended on social media on the matter,” the statement said.
Why Mr Chiwetalu Agu Was Arrested?
Chiwetalu Agu was arrested by the Nigerian Army for putting on Biafra regalia
Mr Chiwetalu Agu was arrested on Thursday in at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State by the Nigerian Army for wearing a Biafra regalia. He was thereafter, allegedly taken to 82 Division Enugu on Thursday.
In a statement published on the social media platform of the military, he was accused of soliciting support and campaigning for the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN).