ALLEGED THREAT TO LIFE: Pete Edochie seeking ‘cheap sympathy’ –Shi’ites

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiites has berated Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie for alleging threat to his life for playing a part in a movie titled ‘Fatal Arrogance’ which portrayed the sect as a terrorist group.

IMN in a statement issued late on Wednesday responded to Edochie’s claim saying he allowed himself ‘to be used’ and should stop wailing as he wasn’t threatened.

The group in the statement criticised the actor for his portrayal of Shiites in the soon to be released movie claiming that the movie was similar to a book written by Kuanum Terrence, a ‘military apologist’.

The sect in the statement issued by its spokesperson Ibrahim Musa, added that the thespian attempted to give IMN a bad name by attracting “cheap sympathy” from Nigerians with his narrative.

The Islamic sect also said in the statement that Edochie’s explanation was “inexplicable, his reasons flawed and his excuses unimpressive, irrational, and at best absurd”.

“The petition written by the IMN to the Inspector General of Police and the Film’s Censors Board doesn’t threaten anyone’s life. Issuing of threats has never been in our character.

“Pete Edochie should be honourable enough to accept that he allowed himself to be used to further vilify victims of one of the worst state-sponsored massacres of its citizens. He could still redeem his name as other actors in the ill-fated film are doing.

“If Edochie has any character as he claims, he would not have accepted to act any role in a film that seems to change the narrative and distort history based on a book distorting facts! If he had any integrity, he would not have accepted to appear in a movie tarnishing the image of an oppressed personality like Sheikh Zakzaky and still think he did nothing wrong because the Sheikh was not mentioned by name.

“Any serious artist worth the name must, first of all, undertake some kind of serious research to get the facts of any script brought to him right.

“Had he been bold enough to cross-check, he would have realized that genocide took place in Zaria in 2015 where over a thousand Nigerian lives were wasted by the sponsors of the film.

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“He would have come across the very many attempts by the perpetrators to hide these heinous crimes, firstly by the burial of their victims in mass graves, an internationally recognized crime…

“He would have realized the matter is currently a subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The script before him is a continuation of that desperate attempt to distort facts.”

Pete Edochie who made the allegation in a 12-minute long clip, days ago noted that he only played an insignificant role in the movie and as such is not entirely aware of what the whole film is about.

According to him, those who hold grievances against the movie which was shot in Enugu state and produced by Anosike Kingsley Orji, have not even gotten a complete idea of what it is about since it has not been released for commercial consumption.

He also noted that if the IMN lodge a complaint with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and he requests for a copy of the film, they would not be able to do so, since the movie is not yet in circulation.

“I don’t understand what the IMN is driving at. The film we shot is not even out, it has not been edited, the production is not complete.

“If they have complained to the Inspector-General of Police, and the IGP says give me a copy of the film, what are we going to do because the film is not in existence yet, it is not in circulation,” Edochie said.

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