Popular Nigerian actor and actress at each other’s jugular over allegation of recent rape of some prostitutes in Abuja by some policemen.
Ime Bishop Umoh, the popular Nigerian comic actor, Wednesday, shared a video about protesters taking to the streets to fight back at the injustice of the alleged rape of the women arrested at a strip club.
Recall that 70 girls arrested and detained at Utako Police station for clubbing and prostitution were alleged to have been sexually assaulted by the police.
Speaking about the rape, Umoh popularly called Okon Lagos said it is a wrong allegation because rape is taking away someone’s dignity which in this case, “Ashawo no get self-pride and dignity” so the case should be called theft and not rape. According to him, the policemen were only stealing the women’s product and merchandise and not rape.
“Both are criminal acts but different… Rape and Theft. There is a little of one in another #okonlagos #okonrepublic #iyammi #chisos #wosappen”
The video has generated backlash from Nigerians who accused the actor of justifying rape.
However, Kate Henshaw, an actress, warned Okon Lagos thus, “Dont joke about RAPE, it’s NOT funny. You cower the victim into silence because you make light of their ordeal and you empower the perpetrators because they believe it’s not that serious…
Henshaw who wrote on her Twitter handle on Thursday counselled “Use your platform to build up and not tear down. Try and be human at the very least!!”
Here are some of the reactions gathered by DAILY POST…
@dukeofspadess,’’ Stupidity is now the order of the day’’.
@olapelumi_kiki,’’ When you don’t have sense in movies and real’’.
@rexyaka22,’’ Very stupid statement he made’’.
@naijexoticcars,’’Why won’t he say that…are Calabar men not predominantly rapists’’.
@abdulrasheed_lani,’’it shall not be well with you sir’’.
@mzchi714,’’Shame on you and everything you stand for mehn’’.
@blessingbii,’’ this is so distasteful’’.
@itosshoes_asap,”Not funny’’.
@nwaforkelvin,’’This man is really mad, use to think hr fakes it while on set’’.
@invictusobi,’’Lunatic, can’t even believe a grown man like this will make a joke out of this.smh’’.
@precious_musexoxo,’’Have never heard someone more foolish smh’’.
In a reaction to the backlash, Okon Lagos posted another video on Thursday to defend his statement from the previous video.
The actor maintained that “since since prostitutes parade themselves as wares, the crime the policemen committed by having sex with them without pay is just armed robbery.”
He further condemned “the general idea of both rape and prostitution, but he believed treating the issue as theft will get the policemen more jail time.
He then ended the video by saying that he stands by his position and those criticizing him can buzz off.
Ime Bishop who is a Special Assistant to Akwa Ibom Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel had in February 2019 fumbled his way into a scandal that almost tore down his fan base, leaving him without soar away roles in Nigeria’s entertainment business.
His attempt to shoot political adverts in support of the then Akwa Ibom APC governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere and then hobble off to also support Akwa Ibom State governor, Emmanuel Udom, left him receiving scathing remarks from several supporters of both candidates and his fan base.
In the first widely circulated advert, Okon Lagos, using a well scripted mix of English and Ibibio languages, urged the electorate in the state to vote for Ekere.
