What is the entertainment industry without a sprinkle of gossip, rumour and controversies? Such stories trend long enough to make headlines and oftentimes become the highlight of the industry. As the year comes to an end, Weekend Trust takes you down the memory lane through all the juicy gists, controversies and scandals that rocked the northern Nigerian entertainment industry in 2024.
Zango’s social media outburst
In April 2024, a Kannywood actor, singer and producer, Adam A. Zango, generated a heated debate on the social media following a video he released that went viral.
The actor took to his social media handles in April 2024 to lament betrayal from his colleagues and other stakeholders in the entertainment industry. In the video, Zango threatened to open a can of worms, and vowed not to take it lightly anymore with anyone who would come out publicly to ridicule him or his immediate family.
In the video, the actor mentioned names of Kannywood celebrities, such as Ali Jita, Fati Niger, Falalu A. Dorayi, Abale, amongst others, as benefactors of his magnanimity but without reciprocating the gesture when he was in need of the same. He cited the late Rabilu Musa Ibro as an example that made him rethink, as well as shape his resolve to make the video.
Minutes after the release of the video, reactions on the actor’s outburst flooded various social media platforms. While some fans sympathised with Zango, others termed the outburst a sign of depression and advised the actor to seek medical attention.
Hausa Tiktoker’s leaked nude video
In September 2024, the leaked nude video of a famous Kano-based Tiktoker, Hafsat Fagge, popularly known as Hafsat Baby Lawancy, generated heated debates within various social media circles. While many believed the TikTok star deserved what happened to her, many were of the view that the star was another case of a friend’s betrayal, just like the Hiyana’s case.
Hafsat, who came into limelight with her dancing ability on her TikTok account, has become a celebrity in that circle, drawing attention to her page. Unconfirmed sources said Hafsat started a career in Kannywood as an actress even though none of her films has so far been released.
Being in the news is not something new to this famous star as she also trended when she came out in 2023 to reveal that she had stopped dancing on TikTok and had deleted all her dancing videos after being invited by the Hisba authorities.
Ironically, the entertainer made a u-turn and resumed her dancing spree. Unfortunately for Hafsat, her three-minute nude videos broke on the internet and went viral, forcing her to go into hiding.
Mommy Gombe versus Khadija Mai Bakin Kiss
Early in December 2024, the feud between a prominent Hausa Tiktoker and Kannywood celebrity, Khadija Muhammad, popularly known as Khadija Mai Bakin Kiss and another popular Kannywood actress, Maimuna Abubakar Gombe, popularly known as Mommy Gombe, is another crisis that shook the Hausa entertainment industry in 2024.
It would be recalled that Khadija Mai Bakin Kiss had made a TikTok video claiming that she was in possession of a nude video of Mommy Gombe and threatened to release it on the social media. But Mommy Gombe didn’t take the threat lightly as she reported the matter to the police.
The matter was later taken before the police, where it was said to have been resolved by asking Mai Bakin Kiss to do a video and apologise to the actress, which she did.
Fati Niger’s comments on Nigerien military junta
In October 2024, a famous Hausa singer, Binta Labaran, popularly known in the entertainment circle as Fati Niger, got into trouble with her Nigerien fans over comments she made on the current military leadership of her Francophone country, the Republic of Niger.
The Nigerian-based singer, who is originally from the Republic of Niger, was chastised on the social media by her fellow Nigeriens when she posted a video saying that she would no longer sing for the leader of the military junta in Niger. She also made some comments that Nigerien fans found very offensive.
After the singer’s comments went viral, Nigeriens on the social media took to their various handles calling her out and asking her to change her nationality from Niger to Nigeria, adding that she was no longer welcome in their country.
“Fati Niger should change her name to Fati Nigeria because we don’t need her here, we don’t accommodate people that are not patriotic. Nigeria, we have given you Fati as she is of no use to us,” one of the fans posted.
Many comments on the singer’s attitude towards the leadership in Niger went viral on the social media, such that she was forced to ask, “What have I done to Nigeriens to deserve all these insults?”
Hadiza Gabon’s view on women joining Kannywood
A renowned Kannywood actress, Hadiza Gabon’s comment in June 2024, urging women not to join the industry, is believed to be one of the major comments that rocked Kannywood in the last two decades. Gabon cited the disadvantages of joining the industry by women as something that outweighed the advantages. She made the controversial comment during an interview on her YouTube channel talk show.
Gabon made the remarks to her guest, a popular Kannywood actress, Surayya Aminu, known as Rayya, when she hosted her on the programme.
“If a woman comes to me and says she wants to join Kannywood, I will advise her to stop. If she insists, I will wish her goodwill. But I am telling you that it is better for a woman to work hard, study and marry,” she told Surayya Aminu.
Her comment didn’t go down well with many practitioners in the industry; hence she was castigated and called derogatory names.
G-Fresh and Sadiya’s short-lived union
The much talked about marriage between Hausa hip-pop artiste, Abubakar Ibrahim, known as G-Fresh Al-Aneen, crashed few months into the union. The singer took to his social media handle to confirm that he no longer lives with his wife, a few weeks after their marriage.
He said, “This video may not be welcomed by many, but I want to thank all the fans that have shown love to me; may Allah bless you all. It gladdens my heart to receive a lot of marriage proposals from my female fans. Though we are not divorced, my wife is no longer with me,” he noted in a released.
G-Fresh further admitted that he had not experienced a single day of happiness since he married Sadiya Haruna a few weeks ago. Their separation became a talk-of-the-media as several accusations and counteraccusations trailed their action.
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