Entertainment
‘Asewo to re Mecca’ brought me into limelight, Toyin Adegbola reveals.
OLUWATOYIN Oluwaremilekun Adegbola Popularly known as ‘Ajoke Asewo to re Mecca’ is one of the few names in the Nigeria Entertainment Scene that requires no introduction, especially in the Yoruba genre.
Through her long experience acquired for over three decades in the industry, starting from stage plays and optical films before the advent of home videos, she has made her way into the hearts of the people who dream to be like her.
As a matter of fact, the elegant, charming Actress commands a distinct popularity and respect from the audience which sets her apart from her contemporaries.
In this interview with Idowu Ayodele, she talks about her career and challenges faced by Nollywood.
Excerpts.
For the fact that you have produced and featured in so many films, but the film ‘ Ajoke Asewo to Re Mecca’, is now an house hold name in the Nigeria Entertainment scene, how did you get the inspiration for this movie?
All glory goes to my God and my Boss, Oga Bello. Because, even when we are about to shoot the movie, I was still a civil servant then, working with the then Television Service of Oyo State now BCOS with my late husband.
When my Boss, Oga Bello sent for me that Toyin we want to shoot a movie, I don’t even know the importance, I just said I may not be available, as at then, we don’t normally have scripts, so he sent another person to me, he later sent Baba Aluwe that I should come to the location, which I did.
When I got there, I don’t even know the meaning, until after the release of the movie, when I went to Ebute-Metta in Lagos to see Oga Bello, who happens to be my Boss and mentor. The marketer that sold the film met me there and gave me #5,000, I was surprised, but Oga Bello said, ‘Ajoke Asewo to re mecca’ is out and you performed wonderfully well in that movie.
It was that day I knew the title of the film, it was like God has ordained it . The film brought me to limelight. If you still remember the film, you will noticed that, it was even my friend, Shola Sobowale that introduced me to the prostitute job in the movie.
But to God be the glory, since the movie has been relayed, a lot of people now call me ‘Asewo to re mecca’. I went to Jerusalem, they are still calling me ‘Asewo to re mecca’.
Is it true that before an Actress can get any meaningful role (s) , she had to go to bed with the producer?
You people are getting so many things wrong; you are not getting it right at all. In all the industries we have in the world, we have some bad eggs, while we also have some good people. I won’t tell you it doesn’t happen, even within you journalists, it happens, but it depends on what you want, because it takes two to tangle, you can never force somebody to do what she doesn’t want to do.
How many men do you want to sleep with? You sleep with the Producer, Director, Camera man, Light man, so will you continue to sleep with men before you can become somebody?
It doesn’t really matter that you have to sleep with men before you can become a superstar; it depends on how you lay your bed and how you present yourself.
Most of these ladies coming into this profession now believe that they need to be sleeping with our men, seeking for fame by all means, that is the more reason you see them, they will come today, reign and in the next 2 years, they are vanished.
So, I will not deny that, but it happens everywhere, if you think what you are in for is to be sleeping with the men to become star, go ahead and if you are the type of person who believes you have to use what you have to get what you want, go ahead as well, everything has its own records at any given time.
Before you became a superstar, how many producer or marketer you eventually seduced to get movie roles?
It had never occurred to me, go out and ask any of them. I have been in this industry since the era of optical films and stage plays, that will give you an insight that, if Toyin Adegbola (Toyin Babatope then) has been sleeping with men, I think I am not likely to be where I am today.
Divorce is now a new trend in marriage, especially among the female celebrities in Nigeria who are expected to be a good example for house wives, some of who pride them as role models, what do you think is responsible for this ugly act among your colleagues?
My brother, it is something you cannot avoid, because it happens everywhere. It is only because you people are seeing us on the screen that makes you to exaggerate our issues. A lot of Mama Loja’s, civil servants, Doctors and Nurses, Lawyers that have ever been divorced.
Somebody was here last week to pay me a visit, she was talking to her younger sister that just got married last month and now saying she is not satisfied with the wedding any longer and she want to walk out.
But, if that person happens to be a celebrity, the news would be spread across the world. It is because you people are taking us for what you are seeing on the screen, we also have our personal lives that we suppose to be living.
Marriage suppose to be a thing of joy to both parties, but when it seems there is no more happiness in the marriage, you have to walk out, because at times your life is as stake.
So, because we are role models does not give us the guarantee that we must lay our lives to risks .
What are the challenges faced by Nollywood?
A lot! We are not properly recognized by the government, we need proper recognition. We also need supports from the government. To be sincere with you, the issue of piracy is giving us a lot of problems. If you release a movie in the morning, before 7:00 o’clock in the evening, the pirated copy is out; they are really killing us gradually.
Especially, the Yoruba genre, we don’t normally have financier, because an average Yoruba man is not ready to risk his money on any project.
How do you intend to convince financial institutions to invest in Yoruba Movie productions?
Except we are able to fight the problem of piracy, without that, how would people put money into a business, at the end of the day, somebody will be telling you, it is at a lost.
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that eight people were stabbed and hundreds were arrested during last weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world’s largest street festivals, held annually in west London.
In an update on their policing operation late Monday, the Met reported that five people were stabbed on the final day of the three-day celebration, which is internationally renowned for its vibrant display of British Afro-Caribbean culture.
This followed three other stabbings on Sunday. Three of the victims were left in life-threatening conditions.
Police made at least 230 arrests on Monday alone, including 49 for possession of an offensive weapon.
These arrests added to the scores of others made earlier in the weekend. In addition to the arrests, three firearms were seized, and 35 officers sustained injuries during the event, which attracts around a million attendees every August bank holiday weekend.
The number of arrests and incidents this year closely mirrors last year’s figures when there were 10 stabbings and approximately 300 arrests.
Despite the heavy police presence, with around 7,000 officers deployed, the carnival was once again marred by violence, particularly knife crime. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of revellers enjoyed the event without incident, filling the streets of Notting Hill with colour, music, and dancing.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Ade Adelekan expressed his frustration over the recurring violence, noting that a woman attending the carnival with her child was among those stabbed.
“We only very narrowly avoided a fatality,” he said, urging attendees to report any crimes they witness.
The Notting Hill Carnival, a celebration of British Afro-Caribbean culture, has its roots in the 1950s, following the post-World War II influx of immigrants from former British colonies.
The annual event is known for its feathered dancers, steel bands, and earth-shaking sound systems, symbolizing the rich cultural heritage of the Afro-Caribbean community in the UK.
The Lagos State Police Command has freed renowned street artist, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, following a night spent in police detention.
Portable was apprehended on Tuesday in Lagos’ Abule Egba vicinity for purportedly defaulting on the balance payment for a G-Wagon vehicle he had purchased from an auto dealer.
Reports suggest that although the ‘Zazoo Zeh’ maestro acquired the vehicle valued at ₦27 million, he only disbursed ₦13 million, leaving a ₦14 million outstanding balance.
In footage that went viral, Portable was observed scaling a gate as law enforcement officers approached him with an arrest warrant.
Subsequently, another video emerged depicting him being restrained, handcuffed, and conveyed by approximately four policemen into a waiting vehicle.
During the altercation, a female voice, purportedly that of the car dealer, was heard in the background, issuing profanities and recounting Portable’s alleged threats when confronted about settling the debt.
The Police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Portable was released on bail on Wednesday after spending Tuesday night in police custody.
He further disclosed that both Portable and the car dealer are expected to reconvene at a later date.
“He (Portable) has been released; he was granted bail on Wednesday to come back with the complainant later,” Hundeyin stated, stressing that “the outcome of that meeting will determine our next line of action.”
This incident marks not the first encounter between the singer and law enforcement.
In April 2023, Portable was detained by the police in Ogun State and arraigned on five charges related to alleged assault and theft at the Ifo Magistrate Court, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Subsequently, he was held at the Ilaro Correctional Centre before being released upon meeting bail conditions.
In a recent inquiry into the untimely demise of Nigerian musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as Mohbad, held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Sunday Osiyemi, a Forensic Scientist and Pathologist, revealed that the results of the autopsy conducted on the deceased failed to unveil the cause of death.
Speaking before Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi, who presided over the coroner’s inquiry, Prof. Osiyemi cited various factors contributing to the inconclusive findings, notably the significant decomposition of the body due to the extended delay of 21 days before the autopsy was performed.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, representing Mohbad’s family, emphasised that according to the pathologist, the body should have been exhumed within 12 hours post-burial to prevent decomposition, a critical factor in determining the cause of death.
Shittu further elucidated that the pathologist referenced the administration of certain drugs to Mohbad before his demise, suggesting a potential correlation between the drugs and the difficulties encountered in pinpointing the cause of death.
“He also went further to say that it may be attributed to reactions to certain drugs administered on him before he died. Again he then qualified that to say he does not know whether it is those drugs that actually led to his death,” Shittu stated.
With the cause of death remaining elusive, the coroner adjourned the proceedings to June 11th for further examination and cross-examination of the pathologist’s findings, signaling a continuation in the quest for answers surrounding Mohbad’s untimely passing.
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