The National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Chief Emeka Rollas, has been arrested and detained by police in Umuahia, Abia State.
Rollas was taken into custody over his alleged role in imposing an unelected chairman on the Abia State chapter of the guild.
This comes after the death of his mother-in-law which was announced on his Instagram page some days ago.
He described her as his “pillar” and revealing that her death came as a shock since she had no prior health issues. Alongside a candlelight image symbolizing his sorrow, he wrote:
“SUDDENLY. NO SICKNESS ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
My mother-in-law has been a pillar. ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
We can’t question God.
@actorsguildofnigeria.”
Meanwhile, in 2023 Rollas appointed David Onyebuchi Amalaha as chairman of the guild’s Abia chapter on May 20, 2023, in Umuahia. Since then, the guild has been caught in legal disputes, with Amalaha opposing attempts by the AGN’s national body to impose interim leadership.
Some guild members, including Chika Okezie, Egwuatu Daniel, and Nathaniel Nwoko, have accused Chief Rollas of creating divisions in the guild. They claim he has appointed more than five interim chairmen for the Abia chapter since 2023, ignoring the members' choices.
The situation escalated on Thursday when Rollas held a meeting in Umuahia without consulting key stakeholders or the elected chairman, Amalaha. Protests erupted, and the meeting was disrupted, prompting police intervention to restore order.
Reports indicate that a petition had already been filed against Chief Rollas at the Zone 9 police headquarters. He was later detained along with actor Emmanuel Ehumadu, popularly known as Labista.
