Nollywood actress Bimbo Thomas has opened up about a frightening night during the filming of Omo Ghetto: The Saga, revealing how armed robbers allegedly attacked the hotel housing the cast and crew in Ebute Metta, Lagos.
Thomas, who played Nikky in the blockbuster film, a role that marked her major breakthrough said the incident nearly turned fatal and appeared to be a targeted attack on filmmaker and lead actress Funke Akindele.
Speaking during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, Thomas explained that filming the movie, which portrays street life and gang culture, attracted frequent disruptions from hoodlums in the area.
“We were shooting in Ebute Metta, and boys would constantly come to the set to harass us because they felt the movie reflected their everyday lives,” she said.
Although she grew up in the neighbourhood, Thomas said familiarity did not stop the disturbances, forcing the production team to increase security presence.
“It’s my hood. I grew up there, so I thought they’d respect me, but it didn’t matter. We still had to bring in security so we could work freely,” she added.
The terrifying incident, she said, happened late at night after filming had wrapped up. The cast members were lodged in different hotels within the area. Thomas initially stayed in another hotel before Akindele insisted she move over.
“Funke told me, ‘Bimbo, you have to come here. Let’s do massage.’ That’s what we usually do after work,” she recalled, adding that Eniola Badmus remained at the other hotel.
According to Thomas, the attack began around midnight. “We suddenly heard loud bangs and people shouting ‘Ole! Ole!’ We realised armed men were trying to force their way in,” she said.
Fear gripped everyone inside the hotel as they scrambled for safety. “We didn’t know what to do. We were just praying. Funke is a prayer warrior, so we all joined in,” she recounted.
Believing Akindele was the main target, Thomas said they tried to hide her.
“I told them, ‘She’s the face here.’ We first tried to put her under the bed, but when that didn’t work, we moved to the bathroom.”
Akindele reportedly hide under her gown while others knelt in fear. “The masseuse was praying in tongues, Funke was praying in tongues. Me, I was just begging God asking Him to let this coup pass over us,” Thomas said.
Although the attackers failed to gain entry initially, they eventually broke into the hotel. “When they returned the second time, it was obvious they were looking for Funke. They kept calling her name,” she said.
Thomas said Akindele eventually came out of hiding. “I thought they would just take valuables and leave, but they asked her to put on her clothes and dragged her downstairs to her car.”
What followed was deeply disturbing.
“I heard her singing Emi Omo Ghetto. I didn’t understand what was happening. They asked her to sing and dance, and she did,” Thomas recalled.
She revealed that while only six armed men entered the hotel, about 20 others were stationed outside.
“We didn’t know they were that many.
We were completely helpless,” she said.
In the chaos, calls were reportedly made to influential figures, including Oba Saheed Elegushi, who mobilised support. Officers from Panti Police Station later arrived, and gunshots were heard as security forces engaged the attackers, forcing them to flee.
“It was absolute chaos. Someone was shot. A pastor was rushed to the hospital. About 20 to 30 of us were at the reception, not knowing whether to cry, faint or just keep praying,” she said.
Months later, Thomas said she learned that several of the attackers had been arrested, while others were reportedly killed.
“I was thankful. At that moment, I was so angry I was ready to attack one of them without thinking. I could have been killed,” she admitted.
She linked the attack to an earlier confrontation on set, where some hoodlums who disrupted filming were arrested and made to record apology videos.
“Even though we had settled the area before shooting, that incident offended them,” she explained.
Describing the experience as “wicked and callous,” Thomas said the incident left lasting emotional scars.
“When Funke later asked why I didn’t give her up, I told her, ‘If they were going to kill you, they would have killed us together,’” she said.
“We thank God. Truly, we thank God.”
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