Nollywood actor Ibrahim Chatta has expressed concern that the growing insecurity in Nigeria is taking a toll on the production of epic films.
The actor made the remarks after a video of him claiming he had lost 48 horses sparked widespread reactions on social media. While some questioned whether he could afford such a large number of horses, others maintained that he had the financial means to own them.
Responding to the debate on Instagram, Chatta explained that many actors are now hesitant to feature in epic movies because of fears of kidnapping and attacks while filming in forests, especially in the wake of recent security incidents in Oyo State.
He disclosed that he had lost 48 horses, adding that the decline in epic movie productions has reduced the number of horses he currently owns to about 27—the lowest since he established his film village.
Chatta added that with fewer epic films being produced, he has cut back on buying horses and now invests in cows instead.
“Taofeeq Abisogun called me, and we started talking about how actors are now scared of acting in epic films. Actors based in Lagos, if you tell them a movie will be shot in Ibadan, they won’t want to come because of the Oyo incident. Everyone is scared of filming in the forest, and nobody can be blamed,” he said.
“So, he told me an incident had happened in Moniya. That’s what I wanted to check on social media when I came across the controversy over the video where I mentioned that I had lost 48 horses.
“…I currently have about 27 horses, my lowest number since I started operating the film village. I used to buy my horses from the north, from communities along the border with the Niger Republic.
“The fewest horses I ever bought at once was 10. I usually bought 15 at a time, but now my colleagues are scared of bandits and kidnappers because of what’s happening in Oyo state, so they no longer come to shoot epic films.
“So, I wasn’t motivated to buy more horses. I used to buy horses before and after Eid al-Kabir, when my staff returned home for the festival. But I didn’t buy any this year because there’s no money.
“Those who used to rent horses also no longer shoot movies because they’re afraid of being kidnapped while filming in the forest. I now buy cows instead.”
The actor revealed that when the epic film business was thriving, he supplied horses to several major Nollywood productions, including ‘Jagun Jagun’, ‘House of Gaa’, ‘Iyalode’, ‘Labake Olododo’, ‘Asiri Ade’ as well as the yearly Ojude Oba festival.
Chatta disclosed that horses can die from injuries sustained while fighting one another, despite being properly cared for.
“I’ve lost 49 horses, and it isn’t because they weren’t taken care of. We have staff who care for them, as well as veterinarians,” he added.
“…Horses also fight among themselves when they’re kept together. They can injure each other, and sometimes they die from even small wounds. I’ve now stopped my female horses from giving birth because they become weak after delivery.
“I rent out my horses to almost every producer who has made epic films for cinemas or streaming platforms in Nigeria, except Kunle Afolayan, because he has his own horses.
“We rented 26 horses to Femi Adebayo for ‘Jagun Jagun’. For ‘Asiri Ade’, we rented 50 horses to Captain Dezzy. We also supplied horses for the productions of ‘House of Gaa’, ‘Iyalode’, ‘Labake Olododo’, as well as ‘Ojude Oba’.”
