Nollywood actor Ibrahim Chatta has raised concerns over the impact of rising insecurity on Nigeria’s epic film industry, saying fears of banditry and kidnappings have discouraged filmmakers from shooting historical productions that rely heavily on horses.
Speaking in a video posted on his Facebook page on Thursday, the actor said the decline in epic film productions has significantly reduced demand for horses at his film village, forcing him to suspend plans to expand his stable despite years of supplying animals to some of Nollywood’s biggest productions.
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Chatta, who has provided horses, camels and donkeys for films including “Jagun Jagun”, “House of Gaa”, “Iyalode” and “Labake Olododo”, said he no longer buys horses because many producers have become reluctant to shoot epic movies.
The 55-year-old said: “I’ve lost 49 horses, and I currently have about 27, 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 lowest number I bought at once was 10; I used to buy 15 at a time, but now that my colleagues are scared of bandits and kidnappers because of what’s happening in Oyo State, they no longer come to shoot epic films.
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“So I wasn’t motivated to buy more horses. I used to buy horses before and after Eid al-Kabir, when my staff went home for the festival. Still, I didn’t buy any this year because there’s no money. And those who used to rent horses no longer shoot movies because they’re scared of being kidnapped while shooting in the forest. I now buy cows instead.”
New business
Furthermore, the actor maintained that insecurity in the country had forced him to start investing in cattle.
Chatta also lamented the sharp rise in feed prices for his horses, donkeys, and camels.
“To look after the horses properly, veterinary doctors were brought to the set to treat them, provide food, and so on. When I started my village, I was buying a bag of their feed for N3,200, and now it’s N22,000.
“If you don’t ration it, one horse will finish a bag in a day. In December last year, I witnessed my cows die en masse; that’s the first time I’ve witnessed such,” said the actor.
Additionally, he said that when he had many horses due to the high demand, he used to separate the males from the females.
“When they’re together, they fight and wound each other, and they can die from small wounds. I’ve now stopped my female horses from giving birth, because once they do, they become weak.”
Backstory
Chatta’s concerns over the insecurity affecting the filmmaking industry came over a month after celebrities, including singers and actresses, called on President Bola Tinubu to find lasting solutions to the kidnapping, banditry, and killing in the country.
READ ALSO: Bandits kill nine farmers, abduct many in Kaduna attacks
The entertainers, who include veteran actress Idowu “Iya Rainbow” Phillips, Toyin Abraham, Davido, Falz, and others, made the demand following the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
While the entertainers condemned the worsening insecurity across the country under Mr Tinubu’s administration, they demanded the immediate release of the victims, who had been in captivity since then.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that gunmen abducted about 32 people from Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, all located in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
One of the victims, a mathematics teacher named Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded while in captivity.
