Ali Baba – Comedian

Acknowledged as the ”Oga at the top” of Nigerian comedy, Atuyota Alleluya Akporobomeriere is the catalyst that brought respect and (ahem!) the big bucks into the humour industry, paving the way for the likes of Basketmouth, Julius Agwu, AY and many others making a decent living today off their jokes.

Ali Baba was among an amazing troupe of pioneer funny-men that took their jokes as serious business. His early contemporaries in the early nineties were the late Mohammed Danjuma, Igbo Koko, Alarm Blow and Basorge Tariah. He started telling jokes for a fee as a student of the then Bendel State Univerrsity, Ekpoma in 1987 and moved to Lagos for greener pastures in 1990.

This writer had the opportunity to watch a then lean Ali Baba dismantle an audience at an open mic session in then Yaba arts hub – Jazzville in 1996.

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