Notorious kidnapper, Billionaire Nollywood Actor Odenigbo: Rivers AGN Chairman Ken Osunwa reacts

Chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, Rivers State chapter, Dr. Ken Osunwa, has expressed shock, and disbelief that the slain billionaire kidnapper, Henry Odenigbo, who had held sway as an actor and film producer before he met his Waterloo on July 4, during a shootout with the police at Ladipo, Mushin area of Lagos was the ring leader of a gang of nine kidnappers.

Ode, as he was popularly called, reportedly targeted wealthy individuals in Lagos. While he was alive, he was seen as one of the biggest financiers of movie productions in Rivers State, being the owner of Port-Harcourt-based Aso-Rich Production.

But unknown to movie makers in the state, Ode was a kidnap kingpin who was using the production outfit as a camouflage to carry out his nefarious activities.

According to him, the late kidnapper was never a member of AGN, Rivers State, nor a member of Association of Movie Producers, AMP, Rivers State chapter, but rather only featured in his own-sponsored movies.

Osunwa, said: “He (Odenigbo) hailed from Imo State and came to set up a movie production outfit in PH. I’ve already done a disclaimer when the news got to me and people were talking about him as an actor.

“Yes, he was acting in his own-sponsored movies and not practising in Nollywood, Rivers State, in the sense that he never featured in other people’s productions.

“To the best of my knowledge, Ode never had an issue with other practitioners in the state. I was never called to settle issues with him and others.

“He was bringing different actors, producers and directors to work for him and at the end of it, he paid off everyone.

“He invested in the Nollywood industry like any other investor. Nobody knew his source of wealth and when I received the news of his killing by the police in Lagos, I was very surprised. I thank God that all our actors who were working with him are safe and fine. Nobody was missing and from the report from his production, he was not owing anybody.”

Besides producing movies, the late Henry Odenigbo also had a Film Academy, called Ason Rich Movie Academy, where he trained cameramen, scriptwriters, actors, producers and directors, sound mixers, make-up artists, and production managers, among others.

Before his death, Ode was promoting a one-month intensive training opportunity for youths on his Instagram page, which was supposed to kick off on Monday, August 5, and run till August 31, in Rivers. But that dream is gone with his exit.

Recounting how Ode recently completed his last production before his exit, Osunwa said he (Henry Odenigbo) as a kidnapper, was something that never crossed their minds in Rivers State, adding ‘’This is because he was nice to the people that worked for him.”

Meanwhile, as a way of stopping a recurrence of the ugly incident in future, Osunwa said his group had started profiling every production house in Rivers State to know their identities as well and get acquainted with them, to monitor closely whatever they were doing.

“We have also started sensitizing our members on how to identify fake production houses in the state. Like in every sector of our society, there are different kinds of human beings operating with a different mindset. We must fight them to avoid ruining our sector,” Osunwa added.