The Nigerian entertainment scene is indeed a glamorous one filled with razzmatazz. Recognised and respected worldwide, the major players in the Multi-Million dollar industry practically live like royalty.
Indeed, glamour is the major reason many youths want to play in that field; unbeknown to them, there is an ugly underbelly that is the stark reality and opposite of the shiny facade they see. TOFARATI IGE paints a graphic picture of how several entertainers endure harassment and bullying, all in the hope of making the limelight or remaining relevant in it
A ticking bomb
Before his death on September 12, 2023, it was evident that a promising singer, Ileorioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad, did not have peace of mind.
He was hounded, publicly humiliated and assaulted by thugs, alleged to be acting on the orders of his former record label, Marlian Music, owned by controversial singer, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley.
The late singer had attempted to leave the record label due to some internal disagreements, but the company refused to let him go, and matters degenerated rapidly, taking a dangerous twist.
Different videos that went viral on the Internet showed Mohbad being constantly assaulted at venues of video shoots, events and other public places.
Fed up with the constant humiliation, the late singer had cried out on social media, expressing his frustration in songs.
He even wrote a petition to the police, but unfortunately, he passed away without getting the help he so desperately sought.
Incensed by the wanton oppression and bullying that the late singer suffered in his last days, millions of Nigerians and fans across the world took to the streets and social media to demand justice for the late singer.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idris Owohunwa, went on to constitute a 13-member special investigation team to probe the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death.
Subsequently, Naira Marley and Sam Larry, who were among those seen harassing the singer in multiple videos, were arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, for over a month.
Though the case saddened many Nigerians and left them distraught, Saturday PUNCH’s findings revealed that bullying in the industry could be described as the norm, rather than an exception.
Several entertainers who spoke with our correspondent explained that bullying in the industry was multi-dimensional and multi-layered.
While some entertainers are harassed by their management team, company and colleagues, some are endlessly ‘tormented’ by fans.
Pandemic: An industry full of bullies
A budding singer, Ayokunle Ijabiyi, aka Hotvibes, told our correspondent that he felt emotionally scarred by the experience he had with a music producer in the early days of his career.
Narrating his ordeal, he said, “I was freshly out of secondary school and I was determined to get into the music industry because I believed I was a talented singer and instrumentalist.
“Having observed my passion and enthusiasm, my father reached out to a popular music producer (name withheld), so that he could take me under his wings, show me the ropes and groom me for success.
“But, that dream never materialised. As a matter of fact, my horrifying experience was the opposite of what my father and I envisaged.
“First, he did practically everything to prevent me from becoming successful. In all the time I spent with him, he never taught me how to make beats. Rather, he wanted me to remain in perpetual servitude to him. This was even as he constantly did things to make me feel less of a man. I was the one who usually cleaned the studio. I was also required to buy food for him and his guests and customers.”
With his voice subdued by the pain he felt, Hotvibes revealed that the producer in question was a temperamental person, who often hit him and others whenever he was angry, including in public.
The young man eventually had to leave the producer in a depressed state and almost quit music.
He said, “He made me feel like I was not talented enough to succeed in the music industry. As a matter of fact, after I left him, I stopped doing music for about three years. That was because he made me feel like I could not make headway in the industry, and had also told people in the industry not to work with me. We were supposed to have a mentor-mentee relationship, but it ended up being a slave-master affair.
“However, I am happy that I have moved on, and I am more confident in my abilities. Thankfully, things are getting better.”
Yet another ugly incident of bullying that many won’t forget in a hurry happened between Grammy Award-winning singer, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy; and a fellow artiste, David Jumbo, aka Mr 2kay, in 2017.
At the time, Mr 2kay had granted an interview, where he disagreed with the way Burna Boy had criticised pastors.
Shortly after the interview was aired, Burna sent Mr 2kay a message on social media, which read, “You better have that energy when I come for you because I’m coming for you.”
2kay might have thought little of the ominous message, but Burna Boy meant every word he wrote, and then some.
In October 2017, Mr 2kay was robbed and beaten in his room at the high-end Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The police eventually arrested four people, including Burna’s road manager, Joel, in relation to the case. The other three suspects allegedly confessed that they were hired by Burna through his manager (Joel).
The then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, revealed that the suspects got a part payment of N50,000 before the attack, and another N50,000 directly from Burna Boy after the attack.
Years after the incident, Mr 2kay noted that though he had gotten over it, the saga had a negative effect on him.
He told our correspondent in an earlier interview, “To be honest with you, I have taken my mind off it because, at some point, it was affecting me mentally. Whenever I hear doors opening or I see people with guns, flashes of the incident come back to me. However, I think it all started in an interview when a journalist asked me a question and I answered. But, he (Burna Boy) did not get it the right way. He flared up and it led to something else. We then exchanged some messages on social media before the incident happened.”
Shades of bullying
On her part, a popular actress, Grace-Charis Bassey, formerly Belinda Effah, expressed the opinion that bullying often comes in different forms.
She told Saturday PUNCH, “In my opinion, bullying is relative. Some forms of covert bullying don’t look like bullying on the surface. Also, there are some acts that one might call bullying, while others won’t see it that way.
“Back in the day, there was more bullying in the industry, but now, things have evolved to the point that they are outright. However, I can only speak about Nollywood, which is what I’m conversant with.
“The industry is not so developed, and we often work with slim budgets. That could put one in a position where one won’t get one’s entitlement. And, when one starts asking for those entitlements, it might look like one is being troublesome.
“Also, there isn’t equal treatment in the industry, as some people are treated more specially than others. There also seems to be a general belief that one must kiss a** (eye service) before one can advance.
“Back in the day, there were certain people in the industry that would threaten that without getting intimate with them, one won’t succeed. They would then go on to reel out the names of other stars who had played ball with them in the past before getting to where they were.
“However, things like that never affected me. I am a very patient person, and I believe in following due process. I am not interested in cutting corners in a bid to get to the top.
“It is also because of things like bullying that some people in the industry form cliques and associations, so they can protect themselves. Basically, it is a dog-eat-dog industry.”
Recalling her personal bullying experiences, Bassey said, “Yes, I had cases of bullying when I was coming up in the industry. Back then, some marketers (who practically controlled the film business then) would come to my hotel room and state that they would give me lead roles if I did certain things. It took me a long time in the industry before I could break even because I refused to agree to their demands. But now, things are quite different because more people are producing their own movies, so they don’t need others to make movies for them to be featured in.”
Entrenched norm
As far as a popular comedian, Kenneth Agberia, aka MC Shakara, was concerned, bullying had become so entrenched in the industry that every practitioner ought to be used to it.
He told our correspondent, “As far as I’m concerned, it (bullying) is normal. Every celebrity should be used to it by now, except they are new in the industry.
“When I was in my prime, there were certain events that I would never have my name on the bill because some set of people were in charge. If they feel that one is not in their league, or even if one has issues with another person they know, even if it does not concern them, they would sideline one. I can only pray that God would intervene because bullying has eaten deep into the fabric of the industry and it is caused by greed. It is basically like the animal kingdom, where they eat one another to survive.”
In a similar vein, an actress, Nichole Banna, stated that many bullies were often envious of the people they bullied.
She said, “The preponderance of bullying in the entertainment industry is because most bullies secretly wish to be in the position of the bullied so that they can also enjoy the fame and every other thing the person has.”
In an interview with our correspondent, a singer, Oluwatimilehin Olorunyomi, aka Bad Boy Timz, recalled that he was forced to stop making music for one year when he had issues with his former record label.
Narrating what transpired, he said, “The kind of bullying I faced included being arrested at the instance of my former record label. The justice system in the country does not protect the average person from rich people. I did not release music for a year. I could not continue the contract, because I could not continue to work with someone that got me arrested for breaching a contract. It was not a conducive working environment for me.”
He added that he had to pay off the label and left the country to clear his head.
On why he did not open up to senior colleagues in the industry, Timz said, “Everyone just felt I was not loyal. Nobody knew what I was going through, and they didn’t care.”
Different strokes for different folks
For MC Shakara, bullying in the entertainment industry differed from sector to sector.
He said, “Bullying in the comedy sector is quite different from what obtains in music. In the music industry, the bullying is quite obvious and if an artiste is not ready to abide by the rules of their record label, the management of the label could start oppressing the artiste.
“However, in the comedy industry, the bullying is indirect. One could have difficulties getting gigs because some influential people in the industry would ensure that gigs only go to comedians who are ready to kiss their feet. They would prefer to give someone who is not that funny, a job, instead of someone who is not in their clique. They would bully one, and one would become stranded.”
Fans guilty too
It is not unusual to see fans making nasty and hurtful comments about celebrities, particularly on social media. And, many celebrities have accused fans of bullying them and making their lives difficult.
An actor and politician, Yul Edochie, was the butt of jokes for several months in 2022 when it became public knowledge that he had taken an actress, Judy Austin, as his second wife, and had fathered a son with her.
He was roundly criticised by fans, who believed that he wronged his first wife by marrying another woman.
When months later, Kambilichukwu, the first son of his first wife, May, died, the criticism became even more intense, particularly because many felt he did not show enough sobriety in mourning the deceased child and comforting the grieving mother.
The social media videos he kept making with Judy further infuriated many, who opined that it was an insult to his late son’s memory.
However, in the wake of Mohbad’s death, Yul stated that the same people seeking justice for the deceased over allegations that he was bullied were the same ones bullying him for months.
His lengthy Instagram post read in part, “All of you seeking justice for Mohbad, plus the Nollywood people, are not different from the people that were maltreating Mohbad. You’re all demons and wicked people, simply chasing clout. You’re all the same people who have been insulting me for over one year, bullying me on the Internet, and trying so hard to kill me for a matter that does not concern you; simply because I took a personal decision.
“How many of you fought for Mohbad when he was alive? Now that he’s dead, you are using him to draw traffic to your page. Useless people. For over one year, bloggers have been telling all sorts of lies against me; spreading fake stories about me on Facebook just to make money. Telling lies just to destroy my name. Just because men don’t talk. None of you knows what I see in my home that inspired my decision.
“What they did to Mohbad is what they have been doing to me on the Internet for over one year. How many Nollywood people came out to say enough? You’re all waiting for me to die, so you can post my picture and write your nonsense. I lost my son. In the midst of the unbearable pain, some people said I was the one who killed my son. How many of you fought for justice (for me). Even my aunty never called me to ask about what happened. Instead, she uses me to draw traffic to her page.
“The bullying, insults and curses I have received on the Internet for over one year is enough to kill one or drive one to depression.”
Admitting to being scarred by online bullying, a plus-sized actress, Monalisa Stephen, stated that her early days on social media were ‘terrible’.
She told our correspondent, “When I joined social media, it was terrible. Total strangers seemed to think it was okay to insult me, just because I did not fit into the beauty standards they had in their heads. I was raised with love, so I didn’t understand how anyone could do that. Sometimes, I would reply to them, and if they were too aggressive, I would use the ‘block’ button. The most important thing is my peace of mind.”
However, viewing things through a different lens, Banna noted that because she had a healthy self-esteem, she often empathised with cyberbullies.
She told Saturday PUNCH, “I am consumed with self-love, God’s love, the love of my sister and that of the few people I let into my space. I am actually an introvert, and I put little or no information about my life out there.
“One way or the other, I want everything about me to point back at Jesus Christ. I honestly can’t remember any negative comments that had been thrown at me. And, if I were to get any now or in the future, the first thing I would do is to have empathy for the person’s soul. By their comment, I would know how much the person lacks love, and I would pray for them.
“However, there are some comments I would not handle that way, especially if they are curses. I am very particular about words and would reject and cancel them immediately while rebuking the devil speaking through that person. I would then delete the comment so that no other person can read it and give voice to it. Words are powerful.”
But, MC Shakara opined that sometimes, the fans making hurtful comments don’t really mean them, but are just goofing around.
Advising his colleagues in the industry not to take such things seriously, he said, “Some of those fans don’t even mean it (the hurtful comments). They come to one’s social media page just to catch a cruise (have fun). Perhaps, it makes them feel good to know that they can yab (abuse) a celebrity. Most of them don’t actually mean the things they say. If one takes them seriously, one would just be giving oneself unnecessary headaches. Some of those fans would even talk down on one online, but if they see one in person, they would celebrate one, and try to take pictures.”
Bullies also need help – Psychologist
A psychologist, Anu Sowobi, was of the opinion that some entertainers could have been scarred by bullying even before getting into the industry, noting that such could have an impact on their current behaviour.
She said, “Bullying is often indicative of long-term unresolved issues. Many bullies are the way they are due to a number of reasons. Some of them probably grew up getting everything they wanted without even working for it, so they expect others to always bend to their wishes.”
Echoing the same thoughts, a clinical psychologist with the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Dr Oluwakemi Akintoyese, said, “Yes, some bullies have unresolved past trauma. They (bullies) might seem powerful and in control, but when one looks closer at them, one would realise that they have unresolved trauma. And, if such issues are not dealt with in an appropriate manner, the trauma won’t go away. So, bullying others is one of the horrible ways in which unresolved trauma can manifest.”
she further stated that many times, bullies aimed to embarrass and dominate their victims, thus, projecting into them everything negative that the bully wished to be rid of.
“In the bully’s eye, the attack of ruination deserves it, and they are further emboldened if no one does anything to prevent it from happening,” Akintoyese added.
Buttressing the views espoused by the psychologists, a popular singer, Daniel Anidugbe, aka Kizz Daniel, noted that while growing up, he was bullied for being ‘fat’, and that affected his social skills.
In an interview with a United Kingdom-based show host and podcaster, Adesope Olajide, he noted that he usually kept to himself not because he was a snob.
He said, “I have built a world of my own in my head since I was little. Because growing up, I was a fat kid. So, I don’t (sic) go out because the kids in the area make (sic) fun of me. They called me orobo (someone who is fat). And they bullied me. So I always stayed indoors.
“During that time that I always stayed indoors, I had already built this fantasy world in my head. In the world that I had built in my head, I’m very comfortable in that space.
“So, I reintroduced myself to the world after I lost weight; I lost all forms of social skills. I did not know how to communicate or socialise with people.”
Red flags
On many occasions, people who are being bullied don’t speak up for one reason or another, but a psychologist, Dr Fabian Okezie, stated that there were certain signs to watch out for to know if a loved one was being bullied.
He said, “People who are being bullied are usually withdrawn, pensive and depressed. They might not want to speak out because of fear, but their loved ones can come to their aid in such instances.
“For example, if someone who used to be social and outgoing suddenly starts keeping to themselves, or they appear tense and anxious in the presence of certain people, one should be suspicious. It is also pertinent to note that many bullies often mask their true colours. They might appear kind, charismatic and caring to others in public, but are mean to the people they bully. That is why it is important to observe the body language of loved ones and even acquaintances in the presence of certain people. Such things go a long way and can even save lives as some people have ended up committing suicide because they felt there was nobody to talk to about their travails.
“People should also go beyond asking their loved ones regular questions like, ‘How are you’. It is always good to probe deeper to know if the person is harbouring certain emotions and experiences that they are reluctant to share with the world.”
Kindness, empathy as panacea to bullying
On how bullying can effectively be tackled, Dr Akintoyese noted that it was important to foster kindness and empathy. She added, “Some children grew up in homes where they were shouted at and not allowed to express themselves. It is important to teach children kindness and empathy. They should also be allowed to practise conflict resolution, and build understanding. More importantly, parents and guardians should start modelling positive behaviours so that children can grow to be kind and more tolerant of others. It is also essential to create opportunities for connection and foster a sense of community in the home, and school. When people feel connected, they would not hurt one another, because they would see themselves as a united force.
“Also, research has found that small behaviours can signal the beginning of patterns, so when gateway behaviours are missed, it would be difficult to control them later. That is why it is important to identify gateway behaviour in children.
“The moment one notices acts such as a child rolling their eyes when a classmate is talking, prolonged staring, laughing cruelly at others when talking, or name-calling, it is important to correct them immediately. That way, the child would grow up to become a better person.
“Furthermore, it is imperative to always keep the line of communication open, and allow children to express themselves. Bullies thrive and gain momentum when there is secrecy and silence. If nobody talks about it or rebukes them, they will continue. But, if someone cautions them or stands up to them, they would adjust their behaviour.”
Akintoyese added that anyone who was being bullied should not run away but acknowledge that they were being bullied through no fault of theirs. She said, “When one is being bullied, the best thing is not to run away or hide, but to acknowledge that one is being bullied. Some people who are being bullied might even be experiencing shame, guilt or self-blame about what has happened to them. Bullying leaves a scar, and if it is not addressed, the person will most likely carry the scar for life. The only way to heal is by recognising that both the bullied and the bully should not be blamed or held responsible in any way. Rather, the bullied must be able to tackle the feeling of powerlessness and helplessness. They should recognise their worth and appreciate themselves. They should dwell on their positive attributes and build themselves up. They should know that it does not matter what the bully has called them. They should rediscover themselves, and challenge negative thoughts. They should also avoid social isolation because they feel they don’t measure up to standard.
“If after doing all these things they don’t get results, they should speak with a therapist. Therapists are available to help individuals navigate the issues of bullying.”
Entertainers proffer solutions
Reiterating her conviction that bullying can be tackled with love, Banna said, “I doubt if bullying can be eliminated from the industry. There would always be naysayers, haters and all the manifestations of the devil through people who carry the ‘seeds’ of bitterness, jealousy and pride.
“However, bullying can be handled differently, especially if the bullied comes from a place of peace, and does not roll in the mud with the bully. Basically, we need more love in every area of our lives.”
Banna, who is the convener of the social media programme, ‘Gratitude with Nichole’, admitted that people handled things differently, thus she could not proffer a general solution.
She added, “What I have to say to my colleagues is that whatever information they put out there is like an open invitation to all sorts of people. So one should be careful with what one shares with the public. Not everything is meant to be shared, and celebs should learn to keep certain things private, even though they live their lives in the public glare.”
Advising entertainers who had experienced bullying, Shakara said, “My advice to entertainers who had been bullied or currently experiencing it is that they should believe in themselves and stop putting their hope on people. Some entertainers feel that without the help of certain people, they won’t be able to get to the next level of their careers. Because of that, they start ‘worshipping’ those people, and end up being mistreated.”
Meanwhile, a veteran actress, Hilda Dokubo, was of the view that the government should do more to protect citizens from bullying.
She expatiated, “The government must stop itself from being a bully. Nigerians are all in the situation of Mohbad. We are saying that things are not working well, and the security agencies must stop bullying people. The government is not protecting the people and that is why all these are happening.”
