Islamic
Movement of Nigeria (IMN), has bashed Pete Edochie after the veteran Nollywood
actor raised alarm early this week alleging his life was being threatened after
photos and video clips circulated, showing him playing a role that seemed like
that of Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of the IMN, who has been held in
detention by the Nigerian Army since December 2015.
In the yet to
be released movie produced by Anosike Kingsley Orji, the Islamic Movement in
Nigeria was reportedly depicted as a terrorist organisation.
Early this
week, following backlash of the movie by IMN members, Pete Edochie claimed his
life was being threatened.
“I don’t
understand what the IMN is driving at. The film we shot is not even out, it has
not been edited, the production is not complete" Edochie said in the interview
released by Sahara Reporters.
“If they have
complained to the Inspector-General of Police, and the IGP says give me a copy
of the film, what are we going to do because the film is not in existence yet,
it is not in circulation.
“I am
supposed to have played a role that ridiculed their boss, chief, whoever is in
charge of their group.
“I am
suggesting that you wait, keep your gunpowder dry, when the film is released,
you can now make your grumbles known to the Inspector-General of Police.
“Whatever is
being done now is premature, it is not proper.
“Fatal
Arrogance, whatever it is, whatever it deals with, I think the best thing to do
is to wait until the production comes out.”
"I did
not write it, the film was produced by Kingsley Orji Anosike. If you want to
express resentment over the production, which you have not watched, direct your
grievances to the producer of the film not to Pete Edochie who is a mere actor,
it does not concern me.
“I thank all
those people who out of concern informed me of the campaign of deliberation of
my person, the organised threat of my person by IMN, I thank you all. I’m a
free born of Nigeria, I was born and raised in Nigeria. I’m not going to run
away from Nigeria because a few individuals think they want things done in
their own way.”
The IMN have
now responded, saying Pete Edochie allowed himself 'to be used' and should stop
wailing as he wasn't threatened. The group blasted the actor for his portrayal of
shiites in the soon to be released movie.
The IMN also
claimed the movie was similar to a book written by Kuanum Terrence, a 'military
apologist'.
Reacting in a
statement by Ibrahim Musa, its spokesperson, the IMN said the ace actor
attempted to give IMN a bad name by attracting “cheap sympathy” from Nigerians
with his narrative.
The sect also
said that Edochie’s explanation was “inexplicable, his reasons flawed and his
excuses unimpressive, irrational, and at best absurd”.
“The petition
written by the IMN to the Inspector General of Police and the Film’s Censors
Board doesn’t threaten anyone’s life. Issuing of threats has never been in our
character,” the statement read.
“Pete Edochie
should be honourable enough to accept that he allowed himself to be used to
further vilify victims of one of the worst state-sponsored massacres of its
citizens. He could still redeem his name as other actors in the ill-fated film
are doing.
“If Edochie
has any character as he claims, he would not have accepted to act any role in a
film that seems to change the narrative and distort history based on a book
distorting facts! If he had any integrity, he would not have accepted to appear
in a movie tarnishing the image of an oppressed personality like Sheikh Zakzaky
and still think he did nothing wrong because the Sheikh was not mentioned by
name.
“Any serious
artist worth the name must, first of all, undertake some kind of serious
research to get the facts of any script brought to him right.
“Had he been
bold enough to cross-check, he would have realized that genocide took place in
Zaria in 2015 where over a thousand Nigerian lives were wasted by the sponsors
of the film.
“He would
have come across the very many attempts by the perpetrators to hide these
heinous crimes, firstly by the burial of their victims in mass graves, an
internationally recognized crime…
“He would
have realized the matter is currently a subject of investigation by the
International Criminal Court (ICC). The script before him is a continuation of
that desperate attempt to distort facts.”
The IMF has
petitioned the Films and Censorship Board as well as the Inspector-General of
police over the movie.
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