Uche Odoputa speaks on experiences
during his time in prison

– The Nollywood actor was arrested in
2007 for drug trafficking, the incident
serving as a critical point in his career
– In a new interview, he revealed that it
was a tough time even though a few of his
colleagues showed him some support

Nollywood actor Uche Odoputa has spoken on his
travails in prison following his conviction for drug
trafficking in 2007.
Prior to the prison sentence, Odoputa was close to
becoming a household name in the Nigerian
entertainment industry, with a growing fan base and
more, but he lost all of that afterwards.
He was said to have encountered hard times, hence
his unfortunate journey into peddling narcotics.
The sad incident which occurred in 2007 and led to
Odoputa’s arrest, for which he did time in prison for
two years and three weeks, impacted negatively on
him as well as the industry as it cast a major blot
on Nigerian entertainers.

According to Punch, the Imo indigene revealed he
was faced with financial issues which led him into
the illegal trade.
He said: “I regret my actions. I was a growing
brand and a lot of people were angered by
my action. I was disappointed in myself. I
thank God I came out of prison a changed
person.”
The Nollywood actor went on to say the incident
impeded the process for his already-growing career
at the time, leading to a massive decline in his fan
base and goodwill among other things.
He said: “It took away my career and the little
fame I had at that time, gaining recognition in
Nollywood and even among my colleagues
has been a struggle since then.”
However, he explained that he was lucky to have
some of his colleagues around him during those trying
times.
He credited the likes of the late Amaka Igwe and
John Okafor for their immense contributions.
He said: “The late Amaka Igwe paid part of my
legal fees, she was always in contact with
me and never abandoned me. She took me
under her tutelage after I was freed from
prison and taught me directing.
“While others paid to learn directing , she
taught me for free. I was to direct the job
she was working on before she died. Up till
now, I can’t bring myself to delete
her telephone number. I still hear her voice
sometimes. She was a good woman.”
On John ‘Mr. Ibu’ Okafor’s controbutions, he said:
“He used to send me recharge cards which I
sold. That enabled me to take care of myself
when I was imprisoned.”
The actor currently resides in Port Harcourt, saying
he left Lagos to settle in a cooler environment
where he could get the needed time to relax and
reflect more on his life and career.
He said: “I need some sanity and time to
decongest my brain. Things were moving too
fast in Lagos, so I relocated to Port
Harcourt.”
The 47-year-old actor and director since returning
to the industry has appeared in movies such as The
Eyes Of The Eagle, Brothers War, Eviction Day and
The Captor.

Uche

Eya

thank God u came out a changed person




u are still a great person and actor