Mr. Nigeria 2010 Recounts Robbery Attack

After they shot me, I had 12 pellets in my body

Shortly after he won the 2010 edition of the prestigious Mr. Nigeria, Kenneth Okolie’s life visibly took a turn for the better.

In a  flash, his once quiet life paved way for a different one; one filled with stage lights, high profile events, prominent personalities, paparazzi, VIP invites to star studded events, photo sessions, TV, radio and print media interviews, celebrity lifestyle, stardom and so much more.

As expected, Okolie welcomed the wind of change that suddenly began to blow in his direction and was even beginning to enjoy it when the unexpected happened, armed robbers attacked him in the heart of Lagos and after robbing him, one of the robbers carrying a loaded local shot gun pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.

The episode will forever remain one of Okolie’s unforgettable encounters with men of the underworld and in this interview with Simply Samad in Lagos, he recounts details of the ugly incident that still leaves him with three pellets in his arm today.

In addition to this, Okolie also spoke on how he plans to spend the rest of 2012 and also shed light on some other interesting issues.

Excerpts:

Goodness! Where have you been? That has been the question on the lips of everyone. There have been so many rumours going around especially the one that said you were shot seven times by armed robbers early in 2011. Just start off somewhere…

Yeah! I was actually shot…

So that was true?

Yes it was. I was really shot…

I thought it was just another rumour

I was shot on January 2011 and the whole incident actually made me lay low.

I heard the robbers pumped seven bullets into you. Was that an exaggeration?

I was actually shot once but the problem was that I was shot with a local shot gun and the pellets hit me and lodged in different parts of my body. I even still have three pellets in my arms as I speak to you right now. When they shot me, I had a total of 12 pellets in me. So, like I said, that made me lay low for a while. That kept me off the radar for a long while. When I eventually came out of the hospital and fully recovered, I started attending events and working like I normally would. It’s all good. I’m doing well. I’ve been in a couple of movies.

Yes! That reminds me. I saw you on the poster of the movie with Uti a while ago

You’re right. That was ‘True Citizens.’ It was really star studded. The first movie I did was ‘Aina.’ The second one I did was a TV series, which was titled ‘Cat Walk.’ Now I have my own company. It’s a lifestyle management company also into event management so we have our entire package going on. I already have a lot of events planned for next year so I’ll be sharing all that information early next year.

How would you describe the year 2011 from the general outlook?

I would say God has been awesome. He was wonderful in terms of life, support, lessons learnt and also opportunities. The fact that I am where I am right now gives me more than enough reasons to say a big thank you to him. I thank God for his grace. Everyday is like a learning process. 2012 has been to be a very busy year for me because there’ll be so much to do.

Is it going to be more movies next year?

Well, everything would still revolve around entertainment and showbiz.

Now, back to the January incident with the armed robbers, why did the robbers shoot you? Did you refuse to comply or what exactly happened?

Well, it was because they kind of double-crossed me. It was just destined to go that way because I was already out of the car but the car key was still in the car. I assumed they would use their initiative to notice that the key was still in the car. It was out of curiosity and agitation that one of the guys with the gun just came at me and pulled then trigger. The moment I heard the shot, I expected the worse.

When the bullets hit you, did you go unconscious?

No but I played dead. I was conscious but I didn’t move. I just had to play dead but it really hurt. I wasn’t really under any pain but I was still in shock.

I can imagine how your loved ones would have reacted to such news. They must have been devastated. How did they take it? You still have both parents, right?

At the time the incident occurred, they were in the village. They had gone for holidays. After the incident, I called my father and said: “Hey dad! Here’s what happened o. I actually got shot by some armed robbers.” He kept asking me if I was serious and I told him I was serious about it. Naturally, he got very scared but thanks be to God! It’s all good now.

So much has happened to you this year and we thank God you’re still here with us. One thing I am curious about is what you have been spending your money on.

Apart from giving back to the society, I love accessories. For now, that’s it especially with the fact that I now have a company. I have to manage my resources wisely.

What’s your biggest temptation Kenneth?

I can’t really say because I have God there for me at all times. I’m a stronger Christian now.

By Samod Biobaku

Simplysamad@yahoo.com