“Are politicians learning embezzlement from our movies too?” – Jide Kosoko reacts to ban of money ritual-related scenes in Nollywood movies

Veteran Nollywood actor, Jide Kosoko has faulted the ban on ritual-related scenes in Africa’s apex movie industry, Nollywood.

Recently, the Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed disclosed that filmmakers in the country have been asked to avoid making money ritual content on the grounds that they have in one way or the other influenced Nigerian youths into thinking that it is an alternative source of making money.

The Nigerian government’s position also came as a result of the spate of money ritual killings among the youths in the country.

Responding to these claims, Kosoko in an interview with Channels TV, said: “It’s a wrong accusation. A very wrong accusation. People should not forget that we have a responsibility to mirror society and this is not just by… we only try to mellow it with the entertainment.

“It is our duty to let you know what happens at the other end for it to guide you for you to be informed so that you can be able to know what and what to do.

“We have heard of politicians embezzling money here and there. Are you saying that they learnt embezzlement in our movies too? All those people display money here and there, on occasions, at various functions. Are we the ones that taught them that?

“In every production, we would never glorify evil. Whichever movie that idiot that says he watched a movie that med him to be kidnapping, go and see that movie. What is the end of that person that kidnapped people? Why did he not learn from that and desist from going into the business of kidnapping rather than saying it is the movie. So it is not right. We have our own duty to mirror society and give it as it is. One of the things we do, we get them from the public. We try as much as possible to play down on them before dishing it out.”