AGN denies rumour of Emeka Rollas’ arrest in Abia

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has dismissed reports claiming that Emeka Rollas, its president, was detained in Umuahia, Abia state.

There had been rumours that Rollas was apprehended over the weekend due to his purported role in imposing an unelected chairman on the Abia state chapter of the AGN.

But in a statement on Monday, Cornel Udofia, the AGN spokesperson, dismissed the reports as “baseless rumours circulated by local blogs in Abia”.

He said Rollas attended the first meeting of Emmanuel Ehumadu, the interim chairman of the Abia chapter to encourage member participation.

The statement said the meeting turned chaotic and the AGN president contacted the police, who intervened and invited the individuals causing the disruption for questioning.

The AGN added that Rollas was never arrested and detained as claimed by the reports making rounds.

“Our attention has been drawn to news making the rounds in local Abia blogs claiming that the AGN National President Dr Ejezie Emeka Rollas MON was arrested and detained by the police in Umuahia,” the statement reads.

“Ordinarily these blogs do not deserve this refutal but for the benefit of teeming supporters of our National President who has been doing a great job and for the records.

“For those of you who have followed the AGN story in Abia it would be recalled that since 2024 a set of disgruntled elements led by one David Amalaha hijacked the Abia AGN by conducting an illegal and kangaroo election without the consent of the National body as enshrined in the AGN constitution.

“As a result, the Guild in Abia has been led by different Interim governments pending when the matter in court would have been over.

“Recently Mr Emmanuel Ehumadu aka Labista was appointed as the new Interim Chairman of the Abia State Chapter.

“January 9th 2025 was his first meeting and luckily the National President was around in the State due to the death of his mother-in-Law so he attended the meeting to encourage participation of all members.

“After his speech where he reeled out the National programs for 2025 somebody among the crowd raised up his hands to speak and he was given audience only for him to begin to rain abuses to the national body, issuing threats and causing chaos.

“At that point the national president sent a distress call to the AIG zone 9 who intervened and the boys were invited to the police for questioning.

“The meeting continued. At the end of the meeting the National President went to the zone 9 Umuahia and made an official entry of threat to life.

“The National President was never arrested and detained as claimed in the report. It is a figment of imagination of the writer calculated to embarrass and disrespect the Nigeria Police Force.”