Ibrahim Chatta: Nollywood Epic Films Struggle Amid Security Concerns
Nollywood actor Ibrahim Chatta, has revealed the growing insecurity in Nigeria is hurting the production of epic movies.
The actor went viral on Tuesday after a video surfaced of him saying he had lost 48 horses. While some questioned if he could afford that many, others argued that he had the means.
Reacting on Instagram, Chatta explained that many actors are now afraid to feature in epic films because of the risk of kidnapping and attacks in forests, especially after recent incidents in Oyo State.
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He said the decline in epic productions has forced him to reduce his stock to about 27 horses, the lowest since he started his film village.
“Taofeeq Abisogun called me, and we started talking about how actors are now scared of acting in epic films. Actors based in Lagos, if you tell them a movie will be shot in Ibadan, they won’t want to come because of the Oyo incident. Everyone is scared of filming in the forest, and nobody can be blamed,” he said.
He added that he usually bought horses from northern communities near the Niger Republic border, often purchasing 10 to 15 at a time.
“I currently have about 27 horses, my lowest number since I started operating the film village. I used to buy my horses from the north, from communities along the border with the Niger Republic.”
“The fewest horses I ever bought at once was 10. I usually bought 15 at a time, but now my colleagues are scared of bandits and kidnappers because of what’s happening in Oyo state, so they no longer come to shoot epic films.”
Chatta said he also stopped buying horses around Eid al-Kabir this year due to low demand.
“So, I wasn’t motivated to buy more horses. I used to buy horses before and after Eid al-Kabir, when my staff returned home for the festival. But I didn’t buy any this year because there’s no money.”
“Those who used to rent horses also no longer shoot movies because they’re afraid of being kidnapped while filming in the forest. I now buy cows instead.”
He noted that during the boom in epic films, he supplied horses to major productions including ‘Jagun Jagun’, ‘House of Gaa’, ‘Iyalode’, ‘Labake Olododo’, ‘Asiri Ade’, and the annual Ojude Oba festival.
“I’ve lost 49 horses, and it isn’t because they weren’t taken care of. We have staff who care for them, as well as veterinarians,” he added.
“…Horses also fight among themselves when they’re kept together. They can injure each other, and sometimes they die from even small wounds. I’ve now stopped my female horses from giving birth because they become weak after delivery.
I rent out my horses to almost every producer who has made epic films for cinemas or streaming platforms in Nigeria, except Kunle Afolayan, because he has his own horses.
We rented 26 horses to Femi Adebayo for ‘Jagun Jagun’. For ‘Asiri Ade’, we rented 50 horses to Captain Dezzy. We also supplied horses for the productions of ‘House of Gaa’, ‘Iyalode’, ‘Labake Olododo’, as well as ‘Ojude Oba’.”
Meanwhile, Chatta’s remarks come as several public figures, have criticized the Bola Tinubu administration over Nigeria’s worsening security and economic challenges.
BY ABDULBAQI JIBREEL AJAO
