Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele Bello, known for her Jenifa’s Diary series, has narrated how she escaped death.
She disclosed this in a recent Instagram Live session over the weekend, while noting that her new film, ‘Omo Ghetto: The Saga’ emphasizes the importance of friendship.
According to her story, her colleague and long-time friend, Bimbo Thomas, risked her life to save her from being attacked by armed robbers at a hotel in Lagos State nine years ago.
In her words, “I have been friends with Bimbo and Eniola Badmus for a long time. Nine years ago, we were robbed while filming the second part of ‘Omo Ghetto’. Eniola was meant to join me in my hotel but she refused.
So, I was with Bimbo that night after begging her that I could not sleep alone. The robbers came into the hotel, which had two wings. They had robbed the first wing and one of the robbers who knew I was in the hotel started banging on my door.
However, he initially couldn’t break in and Bimbo lifted the bed so I could hide under it. I was frightened but she said, ‘You have to hide because nothing must happen to you’. Me, Bimbo and Joy Aiyegbeni then entered the bathroom and hid behind the shower curtain.
The robber eventually broke in and asked for me. Bimbo did not say a word, then one of the robbers cocked his gun but she still did not talk. I came out and begged the robbers not to shoot. While they were punching me, Bimbo kept saying they should leave me alone.
Two days after the robbery, I asked her why she didn’t let the robbers know I was hiding in the bathroom. She said ‘If they (robbers) want to kill, it is better we die together.”
“As for Chioma Akpotha, she and Kate Henshaw would fight for you all the way. Your problem becomes theirs.”
Funke Akindele also admitted that during the making of the film, she once acted very rudely to her friends when things were not going smoothly.
She further said her husband and co-producer, Abdulrasheed Bello, better known as JJC Skillz then ordered her to tender her apologies to them. She added that she made nice pancakes to placate them afterwards.
